UNADOPTED HOUSING DEVELOPMENTS: UUP Infrastructure Spokesperson John Stewart MLA calls for more to be done
John Stewart MLA, Ulster Unionist Party Infrastructure Spokesperson has welcomed action on unadopted developments but has called for solutions for existing homeowners
Ulster Unionist Infrastructure Spokesperson John Stewart MLA has given a qualified welcome to the announcement from Infrastructure Minister Liz Kimmins on new enforcement guidance to address unadopted developments, but warned that much more must be done to tackle the backlog of estates across Northern Ireland that have been left in limbo for years.
John Stewart said:
“Today’s announcement from the Minister is potentially a step in the right direction. It is absolutely shocking that so many developments across Northern Ireland remain unadopted, with residents left facing unfinished roads, poor lighting and unresolved infrastructure issues. Stronger enforcement is long overdue and it is essential that meaningful action is taken to target those developers who consistently fail to complete works to an acceptable standard.”
“The introduction of new guidance is a positive step, but I regret that it only applies to developments from January 2024 onwards. This is of little comfort to the thousands of families living in developments which, in some cases, have been waiting over 20 years to see their roads adopted. The Department for Infrastructure must go further and find a way to finally resolve the hundreds of existing cases that have blighted communities for far too long.”
“As a local MLA and as the Ulster Unionist Party’s Infrastructure spokesperson, I will continue to fight on this issue and keep it firmly on the agenda. Residents who bought their homes in good faith deserve safe, properly adopted infrastructure – not endless uncertainty and neglect. The Minister and Department need to go further.”
John Stewart was responding to the following statement:
Kimmins announces new enforcement guidance to tackle unadopted private developments
Infrastructure Minister Liz Kimmins has announced the introduction of enhanced enforcement procedures to ensure roads infrastructure in new developments is adopted into the public road network.
Minister Kimmins said: “Earlier this year I gave a commitment to the Assembly to provide updated guidance to staff in an effort to reduce the risk of new developments entering the Department’s backlog of unadopted private streets sites.
“Private Streets legislation and historical enforcement guidance do not impose a timeframe for enforcement action to commence, which has led to some new developments remaining unadopted.
“This practice is unsustainable and is having a detrimental impact on new homeowners who have bought their property in good faith believing that the surrounding infrastructure such as roads, footways and streetl ighting would be completed to an adoptable standard within a certain timeframe.
“That is why I am now publishing revised guidance for staff which establishes a threshold for the initiation of enforcement action . This will help to balance the rights of homeowners with the economic pressures experienced by developers.
"The changes will take effect for new developments where bonds have been taken out from 1 January 2024. The backdating of this guidance will significantly reduce the risk of developments currently under construction entering the backlog.”
Officials will now engage with developers and sureties to inform them of the updated enforcement procedures to be adopted by DfI Roads.