Property News NI: Who's At The Helm?

At a time when social housing is desperately needed and finances are tight, it is understandable at the mounting anger, that a social housing project might have to be demolished.

It has been revealed that the Helm Housing Association managed to construct an apartment building, on the edge of the old Gas Works, funded by the tax payer to the tune of £1million and all without planning permission.

The apartments have remained empty since their completion approx. a year ago and critisism is mounting against the management of Helm. Local MLA Anna Lo said:

"Helm Housing has been a well-established housing association, for them to ignore the procedures and to build without planning permission is totally scandalous.

So who is at the Helm?

Its director Ian Graham has stated ‘It would be fair to say that the lack of full planning permission has meant that we cannot allocate the apartments. Helm remain confident that we have complied with all statutory requests to date and we are confident that full planning will be granted.’

With calls to refuse planning permission, calls to have the building demolished due to possible contamination, calls are mounting for the management board of the Helm Housing Association to be surcharged for the full amount of any public monies wasted.

Last Updated 28th June 2010