Urban Village Bid For East Belfast

Construction is expected to begin next month on an imaginative 'urban village' development in east Belfast.

The £20m scheme was initially unveiled as part of an urban regeneration project in May when tenders were being assessed for the proposed construction of the mixed-use community development on the Newtownards Road.

The development is part of the Skainos project and the architects behind the design are to implement a number of contemporary technologies as well as environmentally friendly building features such as solar panels, green roofs, heat recovery methods and a 'green wall', which they said will also provide a striking focal point.

The 106,750 sq ft scheme will incorporate a family/youth centre, seminar facilities, 300 seat auditorium, community hall, social and private housing, hostel, community café and day nursery.

In addition, there will be 5,800 sq ft of ground floor retail space and 11,100 sq ft of office space.

The centrepiece of the design is a civic square leading on to the Newtownards road with the intention of becoming a communal area for the local community.

There will be educational space and facilities for the elderly with a 26-unit hostel and over 40 apartments.

The residential accommodation will comprise a hostel, which will include bed-sits and one-bedroom apartments and a combination of two bedroom apartments and two bedroom duplex apartments.

The community use will comprise office accommodation, a café, family centre, community hall, and facilities for Age Concern, an auditorium and educational facilities for Belfast Metropolitan College. The project is expected to be completed in March 2012.

The commercial spaces will comprise retail space and office units for letting.

The architect is Donnelly and O'Neill, the structural consultants and civil engineers is Scott Wilson and the M & E consultants, In2 Engineering Design.

Robin Newton East Belfast DUP MLA welcomed the announcement: "The Skainos project, which has been created in partnership with the East Belfast Mission, is welcome news to everyone in east Belfast.

"It will provide facilities which can be used by students, senior citizens and community groups as well as providing commercial property.

"This project is excellent news for the people of east Belfast and I want to congratulate all those involved in delivering the Skainos project.

"Hopefully this project will only be the first of many projects for the east of the city to be delivered in the coming years," he said.

(BMcC/GK)