§ Mr. Proctorasked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will ascertain from the chairman of the Northern Ireland Housing Executive how many empty properties were owned by the Executive on (a) 31 March 1983 and (b) the latest date for which figures are available; if he will give a breakdown of the figures by executive district offices; if he will also set out the figures for those properties which have been empty for more than three months in each case; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. ButlerI understand from the chairman of the Northern Ireland Housing Executive that the information requested is as follows:
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NIHE District 31 March 1983 4 January 1984 Number of vacant properties Number vacant over 14 weeks Number of vacant properties Number vacant over 14 weeks Ballymena 131 70 171 119 Antrim 230 40 212 150 Newtownabbey 1 71 42 63 47 Newtownabbey 2 15 4 28 7 Carrickfergus 36 24 29 24 Larne 52 40 47 35 Ballycastle 1 1 2 2 Ballymoney 6 3 6 0 Belfast 1 27 18 33 22 Belfast 2 75 60 72 54 Belfast 3 63 60 46 36 Belfast 4 70 65 90 34 Belfast 5 649 588 207 143 Belfast 6 118 100 86 73 Belfast 7 243 107 114 47 Londonderry 1 71 59 74 61 Londonderry 2 66 16 71 41 Londonderry 3 3 — 10 5 Limavady 8 — 13 1 Coleraine 97 27 140 68 Magherafelt 4 1 9 1 Strabane 5 1 10 6 Banbridge 49 24 27 13 Newry 1 125 101 124 95 Newry 2 24 5 25 11 Kilkeel 3 1 6 1 Armagh 26 19 30 18 Craigavon 1,170 1,088 1,161 1,079 Lurgan 38 19 34 17 Portadown 105 102 118 110 Bangor 17 3 26 13 Newtownards 1 14 1 25 9 Newtownards 2 11 9 9 2 Dundonald 10 5 10 9 Newtownbreda 6 4 6 6 Lisburn 32 14 23 16 Dunmurry 20 13 13 11 Poleglass 4 2 4 2 Downpatrick 13 3 48 17 Omagh 34 33 23 23 Cookstown 10 1 8 1 Dungannon 71 49 66 43 Enniskillen 20 13 22 5 Total 3,843 2,835 3,341 2,477
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Nature of proposed development Location Recommendations by Planning Appeals Commission Department's decision Church, Church hall and curate's house 116 Cavehill road, Belfast Allow Outline planning permission granted 6.1.75 Alterations to bakery Orby road, Belfast Refuse Permission granted 1.7.75 Quarrying and ancillery works Carrickreagh, Enniskillen Refuse Permission refused 24.1.77 Extension to quarry Shore road, Newry To allow in part Conditional planning permission 13.10.78 Licensed premises and private housing Lisanelly, Omagh Refuse Planning refused 27.9.76 Public authority housing Townparks, North 2 Antrim Refuse Planning permission refused 28.5.76 Public authority housing Melmount road, Strabane Allow Outline planning permission granted 7.4.77 Public Authority housing Ballybarry, Newtownards Refuse Planning permission refused 19.7.77 Railway line Knockmore, Lisburn Allow Conditional planning permission granted 17.5.77 Private housing Bloomfield road, Bangor Refuse Planning permission refused 9.10.78 Open-air Market Nutts corner, Crumlin Refuse Planning permission refused 7.4.78 Notes:
(i) Figures exclude properties in redevelopment areas.
(ii) The decline in vacant properties in Belfast reflects deletion from the records of properties which were demolished.
The Housing Executive aims to keep the number of vacant dwellings which it owns to a minimum and at present vacancies represent less than 2 per cent. of stock. Where the use of normal allocation policy fails to find a tenant for a vacant dwelling, consideration is given to such alternative methods as the wider advertising of the vacancy, homesteading or sale.