NEWS
Murphy’s on Main Street Community Hub has lifted the Excellence for Planning in Health and Wellbeing category at the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) Northern Ireland Awards for Planning Excellence. Submitted by Keys and Monaghan, the Community Hub was also commended in the Excellence for Planning in Heritage and Culture category, which was won by Queen’s University of Belfast Business School and Student Hub. The NI Awards for Planning Excellence celebrate planning and planners making a positive impact on quality of life, creating exceptional places to live, play and work MURPHY’S ON MAIN STREET COMMUNITY HUB SCOOPS PLANNING AWARD
L-R: Joe Harlin and Liam O’Gorman, judges.
OCTABUILD ANNOUNCES SHORTLIST FOR BUILDERS’ MERCHANT EXCELLENCE AWARDS
Seven Northern Ireland builders’ merchants are among 21 businesses from across the island of Ireland in contention for four regional awards, five category awards and the overall Octabuild Builders Merchant Excellence Award 2024. Octabuild’s shortlist for the Awards, set to be held in the Mansion House Dublin on October 17, also includes four Rising Star candidates from NI. Murdock Builders Merchants LTD (Newtownards), JP Corry Lisburn, JP Corry Springfield Road (Antrim) and JP Corry Dromore have all been shortlisted for the NI Regional Award, with the Newtownards firm also making the cut
in the Excellence in Community Outreach category. JP Corry Newry has been shortlisted for Excellence in Sales and Marketing, while Rising Star entrants progressing to the final include Shane Milligan (Murdock Builders Merchants LTD, Newry), Andrew Johnston (Newry Building Supplies/ Murdock Builders Merchants LTD), Marcus Harvey (JP Corry Springfield Road) and Luke Martin (JP Corry Dromore). All shortlisted merchants will now receive a visit from judges Joe Harlin and Liam O’Gorman ahead of the Awards and will be guests of Octabuild at the event. www.octabuild.ie/awards/
while protecting the environment. Murphy’s has been a catalyst for
regeneration within the centre of Ederney, with new housing and commercial projects in the village arising from the restoration of the community hub. Moylinney Court, submitted by Radius Housing, lifted Excellence in Planning for Communities. Fermanagh and Omagh District Council was named NI Planning Authority of the Year, and NI Young Planner of the Year went to Nick Salt with Sophie Burch receiving commended in the category. www.rtpi.org.uk
NEW CIS REPORT HIGHLIGHTS ALARMING DROP IN NI HOUSING STARTS
Wastewater capacity constraints are taking their toll on residential development in Northern Ireland in 2024, according to Construction Information Services (CIS). It has published a new report revealing only 1,577 new homes were started in NI in the first half of the year, representing just 27% of last year’s total housing output. NI saw 99 new housing projects start, totalling 6,408 new homes, in 2023. At the halfway point of 2024, 46 new housing developments are underway totalling 1,693 homes but representing only 26% of 2023 figures. The report indicates an even bleaker situation for apartment units, where new investment
in 2023 led to 2,100 apartment units getting underway against only 381 units so far in 2024. Dave Thompson, Commercial Director at CIS, said, “NI Water, the public body that maintains our water supply and infrastructure, has said that limits to its funding mean that it can’t provide the infrastructure to support housing developments. “We can see the impact that these issues are having already in Q1/Q2 2024 with significant reductions in housing activity apart from student accommodation with 765 student beds under construction and another 499 approved.” www.cisireland.com
Murphy’s on Main Street Community Hub.
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