Social Development Minister Nelson McCausland has opened a new £5 million housing scheme in North Belfast.

Demolition of some of the non-historic structures within Brookfield Mill, a former linen mill, has made way for 40 two bedroom family apartments over five stories. Flax Housing Association provided all the properties with part funding from the Northern Ireland Executive through the Department for Social Development.

Minister McCausland said: "I am pleased to be here and hand over the keys to this new social housing development. It is a great achievement to be able to introduce so much vitality back to something that once played such an important part in this community.

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"Unused buildings can often blight an area and bring problems of their own, so it is good to see that imaginative thinking on this site has provided a new and very real benefit for local people.

"One of my key objectives as Housing Minister is to ensure that everyone has the opportunity to access good quality accommodation. This new development is a real, practical outworking of that commitment which has taken 40 families from the waiting list and provided them with the very best of modern, energy efficient housing. This is all part of my Department’s ongoing commitment to provide housing for those who need it.

"All involved in the planning and development of these new properties should be proud of what has been achieved. I would like to congratulate Flax Housing Association for providing the accommodation and wish tenants well in their new homes."

The new homes have been built to the latest high energy efficiency specifications including Secured by Design and Lifetime Homes accreditation, which builds in added security features and flexibility of adaptation if required at a later date.

(CD/MH)