Social housing plans scrapped after DfI refuses to adopt access road

Plans for almost 50 new social housing units in Coleraine were scrapped when roads officials refused to take responsibility for the access road, according to planning documents.

A development comprising of 47 houses and apartments had been earmarked for a waterfront site between Mountsandel Road and the River Bann, just north of the Sandelford Bridge.

With official backing from the NI Housing Executive, it was to have been built by Radius Housing association.

When plans were lodged in 2023, it attracted 159 objections from people living close to the site.

But it was DfI Roads’ refusal to adopt the access road that prompted a major “amendment” to the proposal.

On Wednesday Causeway Coast and Glens Planning Committee voted instead to approve the redrawn plans for just seven private riverfront dwellings.

According to the planners’ report, no objections were received after plans were amended.

In 2023 when plans for a social housing scheme were originally lodged, the application received an endorsement from NI Housing Executive.

In the context of significant undersupply and lengthening waiting lists, officials wrote:“We can confirm that there is a need for 47 social housing units in this location,” wrote officials

“The housing mix as shown on the submitted site layout plan is acceptable to NIHE and this is supported through the Social Housing Development Programme.

NIHE wrote back to planners in December 2025, by which time DfI had indicated the department was not prepared to adopt the access road.

“We had supported Radius for 47 social housing units at this site in current planning application LA01/2023/0534/F, however, as DFI Roads have indicated that they will not be adopting roads within the site, and compliance with DfC HAG standards will be difficult to achieve, we accept that social housing development may not be feasible at this time.

“Radius also deregistered their interest in the site as a result”.

Planning documents show that DfI officials had “carried out an internal meeting and review of sites design”.

Concern centered on the steep slope leading to the site from Mountsandel Road.

In its official consultation response to planners DfI wrote: “given the complexities and constraints of the site including its vast and complex structures, access and stability / right way clauses within the development it was agreed that the department would not adopt this site,

“Although adoption will not take place it was also agreed that DFI Roads would ensure a creating places standard was met and that attention to the safety & manoeuvring for vehicles and pedestrians on this development should be met regardless of an adoption or not.”

The amended proposal for seven “detached dwellings with associated site works, parking and landscaping” was passed by the council’s planning committee on Wednesday.

The committee report stated that support for a social housing scheme from NIHE, and funding that may have followed, would not be available and would therefore be “impossible to deliver”.

Planners wrote: “As an adoptable road was unlikely to be achieved on site it was considered that the social housing requirement of the housing zoning could be removed.

Houses approved under the amended plans all have four bedrooms and large gardens.

“The dwellings are considered to be well designed and attractive properties which result in a positive addition to the area,” wrote planners.