Belfast City Council has lost a court battle over its plans for a 25 acre site in an area of extreme social housing need.
The Mackies site in West Belfast is largely owned by the Department for Communities, which also has responsibility for social housing.
Numbers living in temporary accommodation across the city have risen 74% in the past three years.
Read more: 25 acres stand empty beside eight homeless hostels
But despite repeated admissions from authorities NI is in dire need of thousands of new affordable homes, Belfast City Council rezoned the Mackies site “effectively blocking its use for much needed social homes in the area of greatest housing demand in the city”.
But it wasn’t until a family “in housing need” took a judicial review against the council, that it was forced to backtrack.
Both the family, which was granted anonymity, and human rights charity PPR have welcomed the outcome of the judicial review which found planning approval of a park and greenway on the site “unlawful”.
Nicholas Quinn, who represented the applicant, said the win was an “important milestone in the long standing campaign to use public lands for the public good, especially in a time of significant and chronic housing stress”.
He added: “This case further illustrates the importance of using the Judicial Review process to scrutinise the decisions of public authorities.
“The proposed Greenway on the former Mackies site could not and should not be allowed to proceed in circumstances where families are either homeless or housed in accommodation not fit for human habitation.”
Marissa McMahon who supports families in housing need across Belfast is now calling on Communities Minister, Deirdre Hargey, and the council to guarantee social homes on the site.
She said: “We all owe a debt of gratitude to this brave family for taking this court case and to the people of west Belfast who helped fundraise to support it.
“But let’s be clear, it should never have happened in the first place. This is land controlled by the Housing Minister in the area of highest housing demand in the state.
“Now we need to see action, not words, by all parties, to deliver sustainable and inclusive homes on this massive site.”
Take Back the City Coalition has launched an urban design contests, through which they are encouraging members of the public to come with a design for the Mackies site.
Those ideas and potential solutions will be showcased at the Innovation Factory as part of our City of the Future events during Féile and Phobail.
Belfast City Council has been contacted for comment.
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