SDLP Housing spokesperson Mark H Durkan MLA has said serious questions must be answered following BBC revelations relating to a Crossgar land deal between Trinity Housing Association and developer Ken Campbell.

The Foyle MLA said: "This story about Trinity Housing Association is disturbing in many respects and an inquiry must be initiated by the Social Development Minister, Nelson McCausland, into it immediately. A number of aspects require immediate ministerial attention.

"The public needs to know why Trinity Housing Association paid a developer £835,000 for a half-acre site that would have been unlikely to have been granted planning permission for high density housing.

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"The fact that it appears that the site was purchased by Trinity Housing Association just 48 hours after it was bought by the developer also merits further investigation.

"We need to know what knowledge Trinity Housing Association had about the availability of the site for purchase prior to it being bought by a developer.

"We also need to know if and when this housing association flagged up their interest in this site to other authorities including Northern Ireland Housing Executive and the Department of Social Development (DSD).

"In the interests of complete transparency we need to know what, if any, representations were made by any interested parties to Trinity Housing Association in relation to the proposed acquisition of the site? Were there any declarations of potential interest or conflicts of interest by anyone involved in any aspect of this site acquisition/purchase?

"The SDLP believes that given what has been reported, there should be an examination by DSD of all the sites that were purchased by Trinity Housing Association from two years prior to the acquisition of the Crossgar site to the present day.

"I have written to Minister Nelson McCausland seeking a full explanation of these questions and have called on him to launch an immediate inquiry into what appears to be a highly questionable use of public funds."

(CD)