New social housing development proposed for Whiteabbey

The proposal is for 14 new homes, two blocks of town houses, three dwellings in each block and four blocks of semi-detached dwellings with associated car parking and landscaping at the junction of Glenville Road and Glenview Gardens/Park in Newtownabbey.

Correspondence from the Housing Executive in relation to the application states that the five year (2022-2027) projected social housing need for Whiteabbey has been assessed at 79 units.

In September 2023, Housing Executive figures showed there were 153 applicants on the waiting list in the Whiteabbey area. Of these, 77 applicants were single, 34 were small families, 23 were older people, 12 were large families and the remainder were other family groups.

According to an access and design statement, the proposed 0.9 acre site is currently a vacant field at the entrance to an existing housing development. Newtownabbey Way is within 200m of the site.

The statement says: “The intention for the design is be sensitive and respectful to the character of the surroundings whilst providing modern housing to meet the current standards expected of developments.

“The development will respect the surrounding building stock by providing a mixture of detached and semi-detached dwellings of various scale and shape.

“Redevelopment of this brownfield site is a sustainable approach and will make best use of this land to enhance the area, which currently appears as abandoned ground.”

Michelle Weir, Local Democracy Reporter