Meeting arranged for Brandywell residents to discuss continued refurbishment delays with Housing Executive

by Gráinne Connolly

Residents living in the Bluebell Hill Gardens area in Derry-Londonderry have the chance to meet with the housing executive next week to discuss continued delays to a major refurbishment scheme for their houses. 

Sinn Feín Foyle MP Elisha McCallion has arranged the meeting amid frustration over the long awaited works that was supposed to address issues of damp and structural problems in a number of properties. 

It's understood the scheduled work includes plastering, insulation outside of homes, new windows, doors and roofing work. This will be followed over the next few years by the installation of new kitchens, external maintenance and heating upgrades. 
 

The MP said: 

"I was extremely disappointed to learn that the scheme to improve homes in Bluebell Hill Gardens that are currently in an unacceptable living standard will be delayed yet again until the New Year as far as March. 

"This is unacceptable and I and my colleague Patricia Logue have demanded that senior officials from the Housing Executive come to the Brandywell and explain."

A Housing Executive spokesperson recently said the delay to the scheduled work was down to the discovery that there was more work required than first anticipated. 

"The delay in the commencement of works in Bluebell Hill Gardens is due to the fact that more works were required to the properties than was first envisaged.

"It's understood a tender process has ended and a contractor is due to be appointed over the coming weeks, with the work now scheduled to begin in February 2018.

"We apologise for the delay in the delivery of this scheme and we understand that while the timescale may be disappointing, complex capital schemes such as this have long development, approval and procurement stages, and it is important that we take the necessary time to prepare and deliver a comprehensive scheme that will fully address all of the issues in the properties to the satisfaction of our tenants”.