Mayor of Antrim and Newtownabbey Alderman Stephen Ross has officially opened Clanmil Housing Association’s new £8.6 million Shared Housing development in Newtownabbey.

The early summer celebration event for new residents and the wider community marked the official opening of Glendun Court and Glenwherry Court which has been included in the Department for Communities and Housing Executive’s Shared Housing Programme under the “Housing for All” initiative.

Formerly the site of accommodation for Ulster University students, the apartments at Glendun Court and Glenwherry Court have been transformed into 51 modern, energy efficient homes with landscaped grounds and stunning sea views.

The apartments provide homes for people on the social housing waiting list including families and active older people, and, in partnership with the NI Health and Social Care Trust, homes for young people leaving care. Some of the apartments at Glendun Court are privately rented.

The apartments have been built by Clanmil with the assistance of £3.2m grant support from the Department for Communities as well as funding of £502,634 for the implementation of a five-year Good Relations Plan to support Good Relations and Community Development projects as part of the development’s ‘shared’ ethos.

Glenwherry/Glendun is one of two shared developments owned and managed by Clanmil in the Antrim and Newtownabbey Council area, the other being Felden, which was completed in 2016. Work has started on the construction of homes at Deerpark in Antrim, which will also be promoted as a shared housing development.

To mark the official opening of the development, the Mayor, with the help of one of the younger residents, planted a yellow rose bush to symbolize friendship.

Following a tour of the scheme, during which he met some of the residents as well as the building team and representatives from the Department for Communities, the NI Housing Executive and the Health and Social Care Trust, Mayor of Antrim and Newtownabbey Alderman Stephen Ross said:

“I have very much enjoyed meeting everyone here today and it was a great honour to officially open this new development at Glendun and Glenwherry. It’s wonderful to see how everyone is settling in and I wish them all the best for the future. Well done to Clanmil and everyone involved in giving this site a new lease of life and providing much-needed homes.”

Carol McTaggart, Group Chief Executive of Clanmil Housing added:

“I am delighted to celebrate the official opening of these new homes, demonstrating Clanmil’s commitment to tackling the high housing need in Northern Ireland.

“Shared neighbourhoods like this one give people the choice of living alongside people from many backgrounds and traditions and Clanmil is committed to delivering modern, quality homes that are welcoming to all.  We see housing as an important route to a shared society and we want to build more schemes like this. We have recently started promoting new developments in Antrim and Carrickfergus as shared neighbourhoods.

“The people who live in these homes are helping to shape the future and Clanmil is supporting them as they settle into their beautiful new homes and new neighbourhood.”

William and Valerie Aiken who live in Glendun Court said:

“We’re glad to have moved into our new home and it’s great to be living in such a diverse community and being part of a shared neighbourhood.  We also love being near to friends and family, and the views are hard to beat.”

The new homes have been designed to high levels of energy efficiency to help reduce heating and energy costs for the people who live in them. All have been constructed to Lifetime Homes and Secured by Design standards which ensure added security and ease of adaptation if required later.