NEWS
Mid and East Antrim Borough councillors, Northern Ireland assembly members and the MP for North Antrim were among a contingent recently visiting Alpha Housing’s latest project in Cullybackey. The £4.4m scheme at the site of a derelict building on Main Street is due to be completed by spring 2026. Once work has been finalised by Mainline Contracts and DB Building Contracts Ltd, the project will comprise 24 new units. Designed by Michael Whitley Architects, the contemporary building will consist of one- and two-bedroom apartments for independent older people and general use. Four of the apartments have been specifically designed for wheelchair users and the block will also benefit from off-street parking. The project is part of NI Housing Executive’s Social Housing Development Programme, with £3.1m of capital grant funding coming from the Department for Communities and £1.5m supplemented by Alpha Housing. Alpha Housing delivered a £2.1m development of apartments for older people in the village of Broughshane two years ago. www.alphahousingni.org POLITICIANS VISIT ALPHA HOUSING’S £4.4M CULLYBACKEY DEVELOPMENT
The team from St Comgall’s-Ionad Eileen Howell, Belfast wins Refurbishment/Revitalisation Project of the Year.
BELFAST SITE SECURES TOP REGENERATION PROJECT AT LONDON AWARDS
St Comgall’s–Ionad Eileen Howell has claimed the Refurbishment/Revitalisation Project of the Year category at the RICS Awards held in the Park Plaza Riverbank, London on October 4. The project, which kept many of the school building’s original features, saw the once-derelict building on the Falls Road transformed into a multi-purpose community hub with offices, a café and versatile spaces for events. A Grade B1-listed building owned by Falls Community Council, it features neo-Georgian brickwork and traditional slated roofs.
Judges said, ‘Previously a severely derelict building, St Comgall’s has been imaginatively refurbished, respecting its heritage as a school and the district that used to surround it – delighting former pupils with its quirky details. ‘Flexible-sized rooms are arranged around a bright central function room, and now the centre is a thriving melting pot of activities serving its diverse local communities, with arts, cultural, social and economic activities on offer and workspace for small businesses.’ www.rics.org
QUALIFICATION WILL HELP SKILL UP HERITAGE CRAFTS
A subsidised assessment programme helping 15 candidates achieve an NVQ Level 3 in heritage skills occupations has been launched by the Construction Industry Training Board NI (CITB NI). Part of an ongoing heritage project supported by the Covid Recovery
Employment and Skills Initiative for Heritage, it is funded by the Department for Communities and administered by the Heritage Fund with further support from the Department for Economy. The qualification will allow those who have gained skills and experience through their work to achieve a formal qualification that recognises their expertise. Participants need to be over 18, based in Northern Ireland and working in a relevant role that allows them to showcase and build up experience in an area of heritage expertise including: Wood Occupations, Fibrous Plastering, Solid Plastering, Heritage Metalwork, Stone Masonry or Thatching. Candidates will be assessed through the Department for Communities Heritage Skills Centre at Moira. Induction for assessment will take place in Jan 2025, with candidates completing the programme within one year. www.citbni.org.uk/Heritage-Project/NVQ-Assessment.aspx
L-R: Cameron Watt, Alpha Housing CEO, and Sean Dobbin, DB Building Contracts Limited Construction Director.
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