The North's Minister for Social Development has announced a £16.5 million housing development plan for north Belfast. Mr Nigel Dodds, who is also the DUP MP for the area, unveiled the scheme yesterday, calling it "a further brick in the rebuilding of north Belfast".
The announcement follows the settlement of the Holy Cross school dispute in Ardoyne and a commitment to redress residents' grievances, but Mr Dodds's department said yesterday's announcement was "part of the overall housing strategy for north Belfast".
Most of the money will go towards the removal of unfit housing to enable new building development in the Gainsborough and Mountcollyer areas. "This will hopefully provide a sound basis for the restoration of confidence in this part of north Belfast," Mr Dodds said.
He was speaking at the official opening of premises for the Lower North Belfast Community Council. "The participation of local people in the decision-making process is key to the revitalisation of areas like lower north Belfast," he said.
The North Belfast Housing Strategy, a £133 million, seven-year plan to improve the housing stock in the north of the city, was launched last year by the Housing Executive.
Yesterday's announcement was criticised by the SDLP and Sinn FΘin as being one-sided. Sinn FΘin's Mr Gerry Kelly said the allocation of £15.5 million out of yesterday's total to loyalist areas was a "calculated insult" to nationalists. Another north Belfast Assembly member, Mr Alban Maginness, welcomed the allocation but expressed concern at its timing.
"This is to satisfy party political needs rather than to address housing needs in north Belfast," he said.
"There are many other areas of north Belfast that are badly in need of help that have not been targeted in the announcement. I hope that they too will benefit in the coming months and will not be neglected by the Minister."
The SDLP representative said there was community concern "that the Minister is not focusing on Catholic areas of north Belfast where there is a chronic housing shortage".
Shortly before Mr Dodds made his announcement, a pipe bomb exploded at a cafΘ in the nearby North City Business Centre. Some superficial damage was caused. No one was injured.