Social Development Minister Nelson McCausland has opened a new £1.5million social housing scheme for older people at Weir Brae in Comber.

The new 15 apartment development complements the already existing Weir Court and Weir Close schemes, all delivered by Alpha Housing, with funding from the Northern Ireland Executive through the Department for Social Development. The combined schemes means sixty homes are now available for renting to older people all within a secure community setting.

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The Minister said: "The importance of good quality housing in people’s lives should not be underestimated. Having a warm comfortable home to call your own is something we all aspire to and this latest development will make a huge difference to the daily lives of all who live here.

"Alpha Housing has done a tremendous job in creating this ‘oasis of calm’ so close to the town centre and all the local amenities. Here on the one site, we now have a total of 60 homes for our older citizens, all providing different types of accommodation and designed to meet specific needs. It really is a magnificent achievement."

The latest accommodation at Weir Brae is all self-contained, three person, two bedroom apartments. Two wheelchair units have been included specifically for two wheelchair users from the waiting list. All the apartments have been built to high energy efficiency levels, including triple glazing and mechanical ventilation with heat recovery.

(CD)