Developers join forces to call for infrastructure improvements as demand for housing across the borough soars

ANTRIM developers have joined a group of home builders to launch a new group to tackle the growing crisis caused by the region’s failing wastewater infrastructure.

The news comes as it emerged that in the Antrim and Newtownabbey area, there was an 18% increase in agreed house sales in Q4 2024 compared to Q4 2023.

According to the data from sales website Property Pal, the number of agreed sales increased from 497 in Q4 2023 to 587 in Q4 2024.

Average house prices also increase between Q4 2023 and Q4 2024.

They were up 7.5% with the average house price in Antrim and Newtownabbey being £195,300 in Q4 2024.

Now Build Homes NI says that decades of under-funding in Northern Ireland’s wastewater infrastructure represents a political failure that has created ‘a social, environmental and economic crisis’.

Build Homes NI’s founding members include Alskea, Antrim Construction, Beechview Developments, Braidwater Group, Fraser Partners, Hagan Homes, Lagan Homes, Lotus Homes and McGinnis Group.

The group blames the ‘chronic lack of capacity’ in wastewater infrastructure for new home completions falling to a 60-year low and contributing to record levels of homelessness.

They also argue that the poor state of NI Water’s infrastructure is degrading the environment and undermining wider economic growth.

The group is encouraging members of the public to join them in a campaign to increase the number of homes being built in Northern Ireland.

There are currently almost 3,500 applicants waiting for social housing in the Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council area - an increase of over 15% in just two years.

It’s expected that less than 5,000 new homes were completed in Northern Ireland last year.

As the supply of new homes has decreased, numbers on social housing lists have risen to a record 47,000 households, including 14,000 who have been waiting more than five years. The number of households in temporary accommodation has more than doubled in just five years.

NI Water, which is funded by the Department for Infrastructure, has identified 100 areas across Northern Ireland where wastewater infrastructure is restricting development.

At a meeting of Stormont’s Infrastructure Committee in November last year, NI Water officials confirmed that they are anticipating up to a £1bn shortfall in funding from the NI Executive between now and 2027. This is in addition to a £700m funding shortfall between 2015-2021.

NI Water is already responsible for one in eight of all pollution incidents in Northern Ireland. More than 20 million tonnes of untreated sewage and wastewater is spilled into local waterways annually.

Build Homes NI, Director, Paul McErlean, said: “Northern Ireland’s wastewater infrastructure isn’t fit for purpose. That is the direct result of decades of underfunding by the Northern Ireland Executive.

“It’s no coincidence that home building is at a 60-year low whilst homelessness is at a record high and Northern Ireland house price inflation is double the UK average.

“Homes are becoming unaffordable to buy or rent, and a generation of young people are being priced out of the market.

“NI Water’s creaking infrastructure is polluting our rivers and beaches and the cost to the economy is enormous.

“In the housing sector alone, there are more than 16,500 homes worth £3bn which can’t be built, while a further 55 manufacturing and hospitality projects have been shelved or relocated elsewhere.

“Enough is enough.

“Years of wilful under-funding has created an omnishambles that affects everyone in Northern Ireland.

“Homebuilders are ready and willing to help, but we need the Executive to step up to its responsibilities and provide leadership and a proper funding model for NI Water.”

Build Homes NI’s founding members include Alskea, Antrim Construction, Beechview Developments, Braidwater Group, Fraser Partners, Hagan Homes, Lagan Homes, Lotus Homes and McGinnis Group.

In recent years they have been involved in over 100 new housing developments across Northern Ireland delivering thousands of new build social, affordable, and private homes each year.

The group aims to expand its membership to other organisations in the housing sector and provide evidence-based research to help inform debate. Details of how to get involved in Build Homes NI’s campaign to build more homes are available online at www.buildhomesni.com