Ekin hits out at destructive developers

1.52.21pm GMT Fri 7th Jul 2006

Alliance Belfast Councillor, Tom Ekin

Former Belfast Lord Mayor, Tom Ekin, has slammed property developers wishing to demolish family houses in South Belfast, in order to build large numbers of town houses or flats.

Alliance Councillor, Tom Ekin, said: "The whole of South Belfast has suffered from the blight of developers demolishing perfectly good houses to build ridiculously large numbers of flats. This greatly changes the nature of the area to the detriment of local residents and the environment".

"Large numbers of dwellings are being crammed into small spaces and they do not aesthetically conform with other buildings in the area. In the Lower Lisburn Road area, apartments and their rootless inhabitants are replacing family homes, with no regard being given to sewerage and drainage capacities and, critically, car parking and traffic flows.

Tom Ekin concluded: "For years we have seen, and we still see, the damage being done, yet no one in authority seems to have the ability or conscience to take control of the situation. We need to more stringently regulate the actions of developers to ensure the maintenance of architecturally significant areas of Belfast. Our city is being killed by these soulless developments."

ENDS