The largest housing development to be completed in Northern Ireland this year has been officially opened with a summer party.

The new development of 165 units, launched by Social Development Minister Nelson McCausland and singer/songwriter Brian Kennedy, has been built on the former Bass Brewery site in West Belfast and is called Caffrey Hill. The scheme comprises 119 houses and 46 apartments. The Department for Social Development funded £17.7 million of the total budget through the Housing Executive, with £10.4 million funded by Clanmil Housing Association through private financing.

Caffrey Hill is built on a landmark site in West Belfast which was home to a brewery for over 100 years. Originally founded by Thomas R Caffrey in 1897, the brewery was taken over by Bass Ireland in 1974 and later acquired by Belgian-based company, InBev. The brewery ceased operation in 2005 and the site was purchased by Clanmil in 2009 with the aim of bringing it back into use for the local community through regeneration, providing much needed homes.

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A range of family houses and apartments now occupy the once abandoned site, bringing vibrancy and life back into this area of West Belfast.

Opening the development, Minister McCausland said: "The provision of 165 new family homes on a site that has lain unused is a wonderful achievement. This continues to be an area of high housing need and these houses and apartments will make a huge difference to the daily lives of all who live here.

"The delivery of decent, affordable, sustainable housing is a key priority for my Department and these new homes provide that. I was also pleased to hear that Clanmil involved local school children and members of the local community in identifying a name for the new development and welcome that community involvement.

"Clanmil is to be congratulated for identifying the potential of this site and building these new homes on a site which has a long history. I would like to wish all the tenants well in their new homes."

Joan Baird, Chair of Clanmil Housing said: "We are delighted to welcome our tenants to Caffrey Hill and wish them well as they settle into their new homes and new community. It is such a pleasure to see this major development so successfully completed and this historic site back in use for the community. At Clanmil we are committed to providing housing that really meets our tenants' needs, not just in terms of quality homes and affordable rents, but also in relation to the cost of living in those homes."

(CD/MH)