Alliance Social Development spokesperson Judith Cochrane has expressed her disappointment that the Social Development Minister has not sought to improve the housing proposal at the Girdwood site in North Belfast.

Her comments follow the ending of a legal challenge to the scheme, which means it can now go ahead. Alliance has been critical of the proposals for not promoting mixed housing.

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Judith Cochrane MLA said: "Now that these proposals are about to go ahead, I am disappointed that the Minister has not listened to the concerns that it isn't a genuine shared housing development.

"Nobody could describe this as being mixed when it contains two separate housing areas with a shared community hub in the middle.

"Mixed and shared housing must be considered the norm. However, this scheme will not help deliver this goal.

"We must see a landmark review of shared housing to see what we can do to improve integration in our housing sector."

(CD/MH)