Christmas move for Derry’s Woodlands Avenue tenants

Families prevented from moving into 26 completed, much-needed homes in a newly-built social housing development in Woodlands Avenue in the Culmore area of the city, may finally be in their new homes by Christmas.

The hold-up is due to the fact Derry City and Strabane District Council has not completed the statutory open space development needed to accompany a specified number of homes.

Essentially, tenants have moved into 20 of the homes in Woodlands Avenue. However, a further 26 homes cannot be occupied due to the lack of open space development and the developer was prevented from building four more homes for other reasons.

Woodlands Avenue site.

Councillors discussed the issue at Tuesday afternoon’s Governance and Strategic Planning committee meeting, which moved between open and confidential business.

The committee subsequently unanimously passed a motion apologising to the affected Woodlands Avenue tenants and agreeing to hold a meeting today (Monday) to resolve the situation.

Proposed by Alderman Derek Hussey (UUP) and seconded by Cllr Sandra Duffy (Sinn Féin), the motion said: “This Committee recommends that Council unreservedly apologises for delays, losses and hardships caused to tenants and potential tenants of Woodlands Park.

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“This Council will issue letters of comfort to ensure that those tenants unable to access their homes are able to do so immediately upon Council acceptance of this recommendation at a Special Meeting of [Full] Council to be convened on Monday, November 13, 2023.”

Addressing the tenants who were sitting in the public gallery, Cllr Duffy said she was happy Council had got to a position where a “letter of comfort” could be issued to Apex Housing Association.

She added: “This will allow you then to move into your homes. We don’t want to delay any further the wait to get into your new homes for Christmas.”

Cllr Brian Tierney (SDLP) thanked the residents for their patience during the protracted discussions.

He said: “I would ask [Council] officers to engage with Apex to make them aware that the letter of comfort will be with them on Monday evening and allow Apex to make all necessary arrangements to hand over the keys to the tenants as soon as Tuesday morning.”

Cllr Gary Donnelly (Independent) thanked those in the public gallery. He added: “I know how hard of a struggle it has been for you to get to a position where you have been awarded one of those homes. For some people it has been many, many years.

“You have endured a lot of hardships. There have been people who have been apart from their children at night. There are families which have been split up.

“So, I would just like to take this opportunity to wish every single one of you the best of luck in your new home. 

“I hope that what has happened, Council learns from it and following the meeting on Monday, you can gather up your bits and pieces, get the removal vans, get the kids ready and move into your new homes,” said Cllr Donnelly.

Regarding other outstanding issues pertaining to the situation, Cllr Donnelly added these needed to be dealt with so “nobody has to go through” what the tenants of Woodlands Park have gone through.

“For any further developments, we need to get to the bottom of what the problem is here, so that this fiasco is not repeated.”

Cllr Shaun Harkin (PBP) said everybody’s overriding concern was to make sure the Woodlands Park tenants got into their houses as soon as possible.”

Concluding the discussion, Alderman Derek Hussey said: “I hope at the end of this, the message to the tenants affected, as we approach Christmas, will be, ‘There is room at the Inn.’”

Speaking to Derry News before Tuesday’s Governance and Strategic Planning committee meeting, Tommy McGlinchey of Bayfield Developments Limited, the builder / developer concerned, said “the houses are ready”.

He added: “The houses are ready. Apex [Housing Association] has looked at the houses. Apex has notified the tenants that are going to get them.

“The homes have been allocated. Tenants know what number they are going into. However, they can’t go in because the [open space development] clause is there.

“It is completely out of our hands. It is completely out of Apex’s hands.

“The open space development clause relates to the statutory provision of a ‘community facility’ in the housing estate. It is not there and that was the responsibility of Derry City and Strabane District Council,” said Mr McGlinchey.

He added that the company, which was also responsible for building Oakland Park in Creggan, wanted residents to be able to get into their homes.

“Our concern is first and foremost for the residents. Also, we do not want anything to happen to the houses while they are sitting vacant. That is why we have security on the houses.”

Cllr Gary Donnelly (Independent) told Derry News, in the absence of the NI Housing Executive building houses, the people he is dealing with need houses and developers are building them.

Cllr Donnelly added: “The developer in this case proceeded with the intention of building 50 homes, with Council looking after the open space development.

“Fast forward six years and most of the homes have been built and families can’t get their keys because Council has not moved on the open space development.

“As a result, there are families sitting now with their belongings all packed up and children out of school and they can’t get into their houses.

“This is an absolute mess. Families with all sorts of needs are effectively homeless as a result of Council’s failure to complete the open space development. We need to get these people into their houses now and deal with all the other issues later,” said Cllr Donnelly.

A spokesperson for Apex Housing Association told Derry News: "Over the last month, 20 new homes have been handed over to families in our new development of Woodlands Avenue in Culmore.

"A planning condition has resulted in a delay in handing over the remaining homes, however we are working closely with Derry City and Strabane District Council to overcome this issue and hand over the remaining homes in early December.”

In a statement to Derry News, a spokesperson for Derry City and Strabane District Council said: “Council is committed to working with all parties involved, including the developer and housing association with regard to this important development at Ballynagard.

“Council is committed to resolving any outstanding issues to ensure people are in their homes as soon as possible.”