Developments – Limestone Road Regeneration
Lakeview & The Glen
No. Units: 35
Cost: £5.01M
Design Team: led by McCartan
Muldoon Architects
Contractor: O’Hanlon & Farrell
Development Agent: Trinity Oaklee HA
Awards: Shortlisted CIH and RICS awards 2014
Lakeview & The Glen was the first phase of an ambitious 3 phase regeneration scheme to transform an historically volatile interface area of North Belfast. Construction commenced in April 2011 and completed in April 2014.
Parkside Phase 1
No. Units 36
Cost: £4.51M
Design Team: led by McCartan Muldoon Architects
Contractor: T&A Kernoghan
Development Agent: Trinity Oaklee HA
Awards:
Winner Construction Excellence Awards 2014
Winner RICS Best Northern Ireland Regeneration Project 2015
Winner RICS Best Northern Ireland Residential Scheme 2015
Winner RICS Best Northern Ireland Overall Project 2015
Construction of this second phase commenced in April 2013 and the project completed in August 2014 ahead of schedule and under budget.
Underpinning all the redevelopment was the close collaboration between NHA, the design team, development agents and the local community which resulted in a programme of works that was sensitive to the aesthetic of existing homes in the area and the demands that the development would bring on the wider infrastructure including traffic flow. Retained buildings were re-habilitated and integrated with new-build construction and a number of special details, including a pedestrian wall, were reconstructed to embrace the previous traditions of the local community.
Approximately 85 percent of the supply chain for the redevelopment came from local suppliers in Belfast and enabled the project to complete on budget and on time.
At the core of the development is a successful partnership between NHA and the local community that ensures the housing solution works in sync with the values and aspirations of the neighbourhood. The brownfield site is bounded by the Limestone road, residents, commercial businesses and two primary schools and NHA embedded itself with the surrounding community to listen, inform and shape the works to minimise disruption.
‘Social clauses’ in contractor agreements with NHA also added jobs to the local and wider economy while new jobs have been created within NHA itself to improve its services and meet the needs of its tenants and service users.
The Limestone Road re-development is a powerful example of the far-reaching benefits that can be realised through collaborative working between a housing association and the community it serves.
NHA is grateful to the voluntary contribution of the residents groups who dedicated considerable time and effort to make these schemes and the wider regeneration possible.
It has encouraged and contributed towards new plans that will see the Long Streets area of the New Lodge redeveloped as previous NIHE tenants have re-located to the Limestone Road. This will enable NHA in partnership with Apex Housing to eventually deliver a further 89 units of general needs housing to North Belfast.
Parkside Phase 2
No. Units: 14
Estimated Cost: £2.7M
Design Team: led by McCartan Muldoon Architects
Development Agent: Trinity Oaklee HA
The final phase is estimated to commence construction in August 2015 with completion in April 2017. These units will be completed to the same design standards and high specification as the first 2 phases. These homes will also be highly adaptable to accommodate the changing needs of households.