Around 200 new - affordable - homes are to be built on the site of a former military barracks in north Belfast.

Northern Ireland Social Development Minister, Margaret Ritchie, made the announcement during the SDLP's annual conference, which was held in Newcastle, Co Down recently.

The Girdwood Barracks site covers 27 acres of land.

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"I have instructed the NI Housing Executive to appoint a housing association to commence the work to build at least 200 new social homes on the Girdwood site, starting immediately," Minister Ritchie told the conference.

"I will continue to seek consensus on the overall plan for the site but the housing will now proceed. I also hope that housing on Girdwood will allow us to proceed with the long overdue redevelopment of the adjacent 'Long Streets' area of north Belfast."

She continued: "We will start more new houses this year than has been done in any single year for over a decade. And we will increase it again further next year."

(NS/BMcC)