Clanmil tenants enjoy summer fun

The largest housing development to be completed in Northern Ireland this year was officially opened 30 May 2013 with a summer party by Social Development Minister Nelson McCausland and singer/songwriter Brian Kennedy.

The £26 million Caffrey Hill development was built by Clanmil Housing Association on the former Bass Brewery site on the Glen Road in West Belfast. The development, which was part funded by the Department for Social Development, has been two years in construction and 165 new  homes have been handed over to tenants. 

Caffrey Hill is built on a landmark site in West Belfast which was home to a brewery for over 100 years.  Originally founded by Thomas R Caffrey in 1897, the brewery was taken over by Bass Ireland in 1974 and later acquired by Belgian-based company, InBev.  The brewery ceased operation in 2005 and the site was purchased by Clanmil in 2009 with the aim of bringing it back into use for the local community through regeneration, providing much needed homes. 

A range of family houses and apartments now occupy the once abandoned site, bringing vibrancy and life back into this area of West Belfast.

The success of the scheme is the result of close community engagement and the provision of a children’s play park and retail space, to encourage local business, reflects Clanmil’s desire to invest in more than just houses. In addition, a bus lay-by has been included in the scheme to help address traffic congestion on the Glen Road, a key arterial route into the city.  

In officially opening the scheme, Minister McCausland said:

“The provision of 165 new family homes on a site that has lain unused is a wonderful achievement.  This continues to be an area of high housing need and these houses and apartments will make a huge difference to the daily lives of all who live here.

“The delivery of decent, affordable, sustainable housing is a key priority for my Department and these new homes provide that. I was also pleased to hear that Clanmil involved local school children and members of the local community in identifying a name for the new development and welcome that community involvement. “

“Clanmil is to be congratulated for identifying the potential of this site and building these new homes on a site which has a long history. I would like to wish all the tenants well in their new homes.”

Joan Baird, Chair of Clanmil Housing said:

"We are delighted to welcome our tenants to Caffrey Hill and wish them well as they settle into their new homes and new community. It is such a pleasure to see this major development so successfully completed and this historic site back in use for the community.

"At Clanmil we are committed to providing housing that really meets our tenants' needs, not just in terms of quality homes and affordable rents, but also in relation to the cost of living in those homes.  Not only does Caffrey Hill provide our tenants with a really good place to live - a place they can call their own, where they feel settled and secure and where they are happy to raise their families - but the homes have been designed and built to a very high environmental standard, making them over 40% more energy efficient that standard houses and considerably cheaper for our tenants to run."

Ms Baird added: "We are very grateful to the local community and their political representatives who have supported us throughout the development of this scheme.  We look forward to continuing to work with them to ensure that Caffrey Hill remains a great place to live."

Singer/songwriter, Brian Kennedy, originally from west Belfast, welcomed the new Caffrey Hill tenants to the area:

“I feel privileged to be part of the incredible changes happening in Belfast. I wish everyone at Caffrey Hill a long and happy life.”

The new homes have been built to high energy-efficiency standards with solar panels, triple glazing and high levels of insulation fitted to help reduce heating and energy bills for the families who live there.

ENDS

For further information please contact Christine Ashfield at Clanmil Housing on 028 9087 6000 or 075 9511 8122.

Notes to Editors:

1. Clanmil Housing is one of Northern Ireland’s leading housing associations and currently owns and manages almost 3,500 homes throughout Northern Ireland including family homes, homes for single people, independent living schemes for older people, housing with care for frail older people and supported housing for older people with dementia.  Clanmil aims to provide high quality homes at the lowest possible economic rent for everyone in housing need.
2. Total cost of the scheme is £26 million, with DSD funding of £17.5m through the Northern Ireland Housing Executive and Clanmil Housing funding £8.5m through private finance.
3. The contract was undertaken by a joint venture between T&A Kernoghan and Collen Construction.