Housebuilders in Northern Ireland face a “very bleak” future, with the region’s crumbling sewage network forcing some to move and others to plan liquidation, an industry body has warned.
The current policy failure to properly fund NI Water is directly contributing to a worsening housing crisis, as a chronic lack of supply drives up sales prices and rents, according to Build Homes NI.
The lobby group which represents some of Northern Ireland’s largest residential construction companies was set up this year to campaign for action to tackle the growing sewage problem.
The body says it is becoming almost impossible to obtain planning permission for new build projects in many areas, due to the inability to get the green light from NI Water to connect homes to its overcapacity sewerage network.
The Rivenwood Three development in Newtownards – land where developers say plans for 400 homes are on hold due to lack of water connections (Liam McBurney/PA)
The state-funded water company has already identified 100 areas in Northern Ireland where new development is severely restricted due to a lack of connections.
Build Homes NI highlighted that housing completion rates are at a 60-year low in the region – around 6,000 a year – at a time when almost 50,000 households are on a waiting list for social housing.
The level of funding Stormont allocates to NI Water is currently less than what the company needs to fund many of the network’s required upgrades.
Capital investment levels are set in conjunction with the Northern Ireland Utilities Regulator (UR) for defined periods, known as price control periods.
For the current period (PC21), which ends in 2027, NI Water said it was unable to fund £500m of planned works – or around 25% – while the company faces a planned funding gap of around £2bn over the next price control period from 2028 to 2033 (PC28).
Build Homes NI has called on political leaders to urgently address the issue and introduce an infrastructure tax potentially worth around £2 a week on national bills.
Infrastructure Minister Liz Kimmins considers introducing levies on developer contributions (Liam McBurney/PA)
He says political resistance to charging the public for water services ultimately creates a greater financial burden for many households, as the shortage of supply contributes to higher property prices and rental costs.
James Fraser, director of housebuilding company Fraser Partners, said he was currently unable to carry out plans for 400 new homes at his Rivenwood complex in Newtownards due to the lack of a water connection.
He said builders across Northern Ireland were facing similar frustrations.
“There are a number of other builders, some smaller than me, who have already said they will probably have to go out of business in a few years, and that will be it,” he said.
“And no one else is getting into this. New construction development is not an area that anyone would be looking to get into if you weren’t established, if you didn’t have a name and if you didn’t have land and know-how.
“We will lose manufacturers rather than gain them in the years to come.”
Mr Fraser said he had tried to diversify away from domestic dwellings, but said the same problems existed with other forms of construction as buildings required water connections whether residential or not.
He had instead begun to consider moving some business operations to the north of England.
No one will get on the housing ladder. If you have young children, or even if you have college-aged children, the likelihood of them returning to that home will become more and more unlikely with each passing year.
“Housing supply in Northern Ireland is going to become so limited that demand is going to continue to rise, both in social and private housing, that prices are going to skyrocket,” he said.
“No one is going to get on the housing ladder. If you have young children, or even if you have college-aged children, the likelihood of them getting that housing is going to become more and more unlikely with each passing year because there will be fewer and fewer new homes built.
“I’m just one of many here – you’re talking about hundreds of houses that aren’t being built. We’re looking elsewhere. There are builders who have already gone to the Republic of Ireland.”
“Myself and my brother and business partner, we’re looking in the North East of England. Because why would you continue to try to do business in a country where the Executive won’t support you?”
He said: “It looks bleak. It looks very bleak unless something is done.”
Infrastructure Minister Liz Kimmins is considering introducing a developer levy model, under which builders would contribute to the costs of wastewater improvements.
Mr Fraser said such a system would not solve the problem – potentially creating further inflationary pressure on house prices – and accused the Executive of burying its “head in the sand” over the need for a direct public water levy.
“It’s not just the housebuilders (affected by the water infrastructure issues), there’s the manufacturers, there’s the retail trade, there’s a lot of big companies who no longer see Northern Ireland as a viable place to invest their money, and they’re going elsewhere, which of course, affects the NI economy as a whole,” he said.
“The consequences are therefore considerable. »
James Fraser, director of construction company Fraser Partners (Liam McBurney/PA)
Build Homes NI director Paul McErlean said households were ultimately paying more due to the Executive’s failure to adequately fund NI Water.
Mr McErlean said soaring house prices and rents in the area were a direct result of the shortage of new housing.
“Our house prices and rents are rising at much higher rates than the rest of the UK, and a lot of that is down to supply,” he said.
“One of the reasons we have limited supply is because our home builders – James is a great example – can’t build the homes they want to build because of water hookups.
“It is a false economy and a distortion of the facts when we say that we are saving public money by not paying for water.”
An NI Water spokesperson said: “NI Water’s work program for PC21 will bring in around £470 million less than the Utilities Regulator’s determination for current price controls (PC21).
“The result is that a quarter of the works deemed essential by the UR will not be carried out, limiting the development of more than 100 towns and villages and leaving critical environmental problems unresolved.
“For many years we have been transforming NI Water into a more efficient, resilient and innovative utility that helps us meet these challenges.
Paul McErlane, director of Build Homes NI (Cavendish Consulting/PA)
“We will continue to work with our shareholder to create the circumstances that enable us to fulfill our dual role of providing essential water and wastewater services whilst supporting key government agenda priorities of housing, economic growth and environmental improvement.
A Department for Infrastructure (DfI) spokesperson said Minister Kimmins had provided NI Water with “as much funding as possible within the budget the department has”.
“So far this year, NI Water has received more than £500 million of public money, which is 90% of what the company needed to operate this year,” the spokesperson said.
The ministry said that since the restoration of Stormont in 2024, funding had been provided to free up wastewater treatment capacity for more than 5,000 properties.
“This is already above the 4,300 that NI Water had originally planned to connect, if fully funded, by the end of this price control period in 2028,” the spokesperson said.
“The Minister has made it clear that funding is not the only answer and she continues to move forward and implement the three-pronged approach. This includes securing more investment in wastewater infrastructure from her Executive colleagues, reviewing the approach to developer contributions and passing legislation to provide for Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS).”
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The meeting discussed the use of anti-terrorism laws to combat paramilitary flags and murals
#meeting #discussed #antiterrorism #laws #combat #paramilitary #flags #murals
A file held at the Public Record Office in Belfast includes the minutes of a meeting which took place at Stormont House.
A flag belonging to the Ulster Defense Association (UDA)(Image: Liam McBurney/PA Wire)
A meeting at Stormont discussed the use of anti-terrorism laws to combat displays of paramilitary flags and murals in 2004, according to declassified files.
The papers reveal that a senior PSNI official said “comprehensive case law” could be developed within the courts to establish a “clear line between what is acceptable and what is not”.
A file held at the Public Record Office in Belfast includes the minutes of a meeting which took place at Stormont House on March 2, 2004, attended by PSNI representatives, civil servants and representatives from the Community Relations Unit (CRU) and the Community Relations Council (CRC).
The minutes indicate that a previous meeting concluded that a “community approach to the flag issue was preferable to a police-only response.”
Senior officer Gary White told the meeting he had had a discussion with the Crown Prosecution Service regarding the use of the Terrorism Act 2000.
The minute read: “Again, the question of what is and is not acceptable behavior has become an issue, but GW (Gary White) believes that the DPP is in favor of using this provision generally and this is easiest where a flag or mural illustrates an explicit level of support for a paramilitary organization.
“Obviously there will be areas where there will be doubts about what a flag is.
“GW suggested that this issue should be left to the courts and that comprehensive case law could be developed to establish a clear line between what is acceptable and what is not.
“He also reminded the group that there is great sympathy for the idea that what was acceptable during the worst phases of the Troubles may not be acceptable now.”
The minutes indicate that the meeting recalls a test case relating to the display of paramilitary flags in Hollywood, which resulted in the conviction of four people under section 13 of the Terrorism Act.
It was subsequently learned that the CRU had commissioned research from the Institute of Irish Studies at Queen’s University into the issue of flags and emblems.
The CRU’s Billy Gamble said “his preference was for the community to resolve these issues on their own”, but he felt there “had to be a threat of final sanction”.
The minutes state: “The group was clearly impressed by the approaches of the CRU/CRC and expects the outcome of the policy document in June.
“It is clear, however, that there will be times when the community simply cannot stop the paramilitaries from engaging in this activity.
“In such circumstances, the PSNI is content to have the necessary powers under the Terrorism Act to deal with the situation. In short, there is no universal policy that can solve the flag problem.”
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Eddie Hearn pays tribute as two members of Anthony Joshua’s team die in car crash
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Anthony Joshua was involved in a car crash in Nigeria on Monday, leaving two people tragically killed in the incident and the former heavyweight champion was rushed to hospital.
12:47 a.m., December 30, 2025Updated at 00:47, December 30, 2025
(Image: Photo by Cameron Howard/Getty Images)
Eddie Hearn, chairman of Matchroom Sport, has paid tribute to two men who tragically died in a car crash involving British heavyweight Anthony Joshua in Nigeria on Monday.
The victims were identified as Kevin Ayodele and Sina Ghami, while Joshua was taken to hospital with minor injuries following the collision.
The incident occurred on Monday morning on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, just outside Lagos, when a black Lexus Jeep collided with a stationary red Sinotruck commercial vehicle.
The accident claimed the lives of Ayodele, also known as Latz, and Ghami, both close friends and members of Joshua’s team. Two other men in the vehicle were said to have escaped unhurt.
Hearn, chairman of Joshua’s promotional company Matchroom, was among those who paid tribute to both men when news of their tragic deaths was confirmed.
“With the heaviest of hearts,” he shared in an Instagram post. “Two great men. Rest in eternal peace Sina and Latz. My deepest thoughts and prayers are with everyone.”
Boxer Chris Eubank Jr also shared a heartfelt message, saying: “Thank God our heavyweight champion survived this horrific car accident. And pray for the two fallen soldiers, Latz and Sina, and their families.
“I knew they both…were truly good men. Rest in peace boys.”
Slim Albaher of Misfits Boxing also paid tribute, adding: “Sending prayers for Anthony Joshua and the two brothers who died tragically in the car crash. I can’t believe Latz was one of the guys involved… he was such a good soul and supportive brother. Allah Yerhamu, may Allah grant Latz and Sina Jannah.”
Another fighter, Mutah Beale, also said: “From Allah we return sad and shocking news regarding the death of our dear brother Abdul-Latif following a car accident. May Allah have mercy on him and grant him Jannah, and may Allah ease this difficult time for his family. We also wish the champion a speedy recovery. »
OnestoplistDubai shared a touching message: “May Allah forgive your faults and grant you the highest level of paradise. Ameen. Nothing but good memories when we were together.
“My condolences go out to your family and loved ones Sina @258mgt @anthonyjoshua. A gentle reminder to all brothers and sisters. From him we came and to him we will return. Now at peace, Sina.”
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President McAleese’s husband’s contacts with the UDA took ‘a life of its own’, ambassador heard
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Contacts between the husband of former Irish president Mary McAleese and UDA leaders in Northern Ireland took on “a life of their own”, a British government official said in 2003.
Declassified files show Martin McAleese had arranged a coach for loyalist leaders to attend a golf outing, but they refused, fearing it would be “too much like a UDA day trip”.
A senior civil servant noted that “there were a few surprises” in contacts but that Dr McAleese was determined to expand the list of his “loyalist friends” to include the UVF.
One of the files released under the 20-year regime concerns Dr. McAleese’s efforts to force loyalist paramilitaries from the margins of the peace process during his wife’s first term as president.
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The extent of his contacts is contained in a confidential memo written to the then British Ambassador to Ireland, Stewart Eldon, by senior civil servant Chris McCabe in September 2003, entitled “Loyalism and the Irish: Lunch with Martin McAleese”. Mr McCabe said he had a “private conversation” with Martin McAleese over lunch.
The memo said: “Martin McAleese is very candid about his contacts with high-ranking loyalists. Impressive in both their breadth and depth. Well aware of the potential pitfalls, but so far things have gone remarkably well.
“Determined to persevere for as long as possible, expanding the list of his loyalist ‘friends’ at every opportunity.”
Mr. McCabe added:
This allowed us to hear firsthand what Martin was doing: although we were already aware of much of what he told us, there were a few surprises.
The note stated that Dr McAleese had received a letter from “South Belfast UDA Brigadier” Jackie McDonald in February 2003.
“Once Martin verified that there would be no political objections to such a personal initiative, the first meeting was arranged. Since then, the meetings seem to have taken on a life of their own.”
The memo details a list of contacts, including a meeting in Áras an Uachtaráin “involving 50 unionists/loyalists who focused on cross-community issues”. It also included “several meetings with UDA brigadiers (including a “jovial” Jim Gray) and others in which Jackie McDonald was clearly primus inter pares”.
The note continues: “Social events, including golf outings, in which some or all UDA brigadiers and their associates were involved. On one of these occasions, Martin called for a coach, but the brigadiers refused him on grounds of collective security and because it would be too much like a UDA day trip.
“Alternative transportation in a fleet of minibuses was agreed; each vehicle was checked for ‘bugs and bombs’ before its guests boarded!”
The note said Dr McAleese had “admitted to being relatively innocent abroad”, but added that he was struck by “the sincerity of everyone he met and would tend to take them at face value until he knew otherwise”.
The note adds: “For our part, we welcomed his initiative and the progress that has been made. We said that, given the provenance of some of the figures involved and the need for transparency, accountability and inter- and intra-community equality, we could not hope to match his activities on this side of the border.
“But that shouldn’t bother him, quite the contrary.”
The memo was copied to Secretary of State Paul Murphy and other Northern Ireland ministers in direct power. The note concluded by stating that Dr McAleese also wanted to make contact with someone on the “military side” of the UVF.
It said: “To ensure the PUP/UVF stays on board, he would have dinner with the party’s chairman, David Rose, and secretary, Dawn Purvis, later this week.
“He hoped this would lead to direct contact with someone on the military side. He also has tentative plans for some sort of dialogue with members of the DUP.”
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