Last week I brought the issue of the Dunclug Action Plan to the floor of the Assembly. I did so because local community workers have had their hopes, which were high a couple of years ago, dashed. The implementation of the first part of the plan is key to making the area a significantly safer place to live, changing radically the layout of the estate and introducing a new artery through the area. The failure to implement this coupled with other recent cutbacks leaves things looking very bleak indeed. We really need the DSD Minister to make this a top priority and judging from her response to the debate, that doesn't look likely:

Dunclug Action Plan
Mr Deputy Speaker: I remind Members that the proposer of the topic will have 15 minutes in which to speak. All other Members who wish to speak will have approximately 10 minutes.
Mr McKay: Go raibh maith agat, a LeasCheann Comhairle. I wish to speak about the Dunclug action plan, which is close to my heart. I have grave concerns about it at present, because of the failure of its implementation. The action plan was launched more than two years ago, and many people had looked forward to its implementation as an opportunity to turn the area around and to address the high levels of crime, antisocial behaviour and other problems in the area.
The present design of the estate is in no way ideal. The action plan rightly states that the present layout — coupled with litter, debris, vacant and derelict properties, vandalism and graffiti — creates a sense of danger in the heart of the estate. When the plan was launched, Dunclug was ranked as the fourth worst area for crime and disorder in the Six Counties. In a survey that was carried out at that time, almost one quarter of the estate’s residents said that they did not feel safe living in the area. Even more concerning is the fact that 50% of those living in the area said that they did not feel safe when they ventured out at night.
Following the murder of Michael McIlveen in May 2006, Dunclug estate received unprecedented media attention. Media outlets highlighted the physical, social and community cohesion problems that existed there. Numerous interviews portrayed a community living in isolation, fear and deprivation. The images from the estate also confirmed the poor physical condition of the area.
For many years, the Dunclug residents’ association had called on the Department for Social Development to intervene. It finally received a response from the then British direct rule Minister, David Hanson, who paid a visit to the estate in August 2006.
He made a return visit in November 2006, when he announced the Dunclug action plan. During his engagement with local community workers and volunteers, Minister Hanson promised that there would be ministerial ownership of the action plan’s implementation. That followed previous announcements by the Housing Executive of large-scale actions or projects to enhance the physical condition of the estate, which never materialised. The action plan involves DSD and the Housing Executive providing at least £5 million of new money for Dunclug from 2007 to 2011.
The Minister for Social Development has promised that she will take ministerial ownership of the Dunclug action plan. Following her visit to the estate on 26 September 2007, which I welcomed at the time, she met with local stakeholders from the voluntary sector and impressed on them her commitment to drive forward the actions in the plan. Those actions seek to address key concerns about the physical condition of the estate, crime and antisocial behaviour, community cohesion, and, centrally, youth issues in the Dunclug estate.
The plan was formulated in a manner that was meant to instil confidence in a community that had, until then, been given no hope whatsoever. The 21 actions in the plan were put together in a co-ordinated fashion; not by accident, but in a sequence that could be seen to deliver tangible results to residents in the area. That, in turn, would have seen a gradual improvement in the quality of life, as well as a considerable improvement in life chances for residents of the estate.
Area-at-risk funding was used for social impact projects. A dedicated youth officer and a drugs outreach officer were tasked to Dunclug for a two-year period. There was also the successful parents and kids together (PAKT) project, which was to be continued for a further two years. The youth officer used his post to win over the hearts and minds of some of the most at-risk young people in the area and carried out sterling work, which I have seen.
Many other aspects of the Dunclug action plan were used to incentivise the youth to buy into the scheme, including the physical regeneration of the area that those children call home. Unfortunately, the youth officer’s post ran out in March 2009, with precious little of the high-visibility work in the action plan being carried out.
The new play park could have been the catalyst for change. However, it has failed to materialise on time. Even though the action was to be implemented by June 2008, the play park is still not in a position to be put in place. The residents’ association, along with the youth development officer, worked together to gain the support of local youths with the promise of the delivery of the action plan. That was a difficult task. According to community workers, the youth now feel betrayed by their own community leaders and those responsible for delivery. That is an unfortunate situation.
The drugs officer was tasked to help those suffering most from drug-addiction, and to help their long-suffering families and friends. Qualitative information from the officer, the most reliable of sources, suggests that between 8% and 12% of the people residing in Dunclug could be using heroin. The post is due to end on 31 October 2009. The drugs problem and subsequent crime associated with the area is due to resurface on a much more significant level if that post is allowed to elapse.
The PAKT programme, which ran prior to the action plan, has also now expired. It was used to help those most vulnerable in the community. Parents were helped to gain skills to improve the quality of parenting. Single mothers gained much-needed support and security through more hands-on tasks with their own children in a safe environment. Those most at risk in Dunclug gained significant confidence from those projects.
The action plan was truly an excellent piece of work, with a design to improve the estate with the help of the voluntary and statutory sectors. The community bought into the plan over the past three years; in particular, the improvements to street lighting, the demolition of a number of problem properties, and the areas-at-risk package, which provided some signposts for hope.
The question now is whether the Minister and the Department have missed the best opportunity, in over two decades, to make one of the most deprived areas in the North a place where residents could feel comfortable and safe and be proud to live. Phase one is a key part of the plan, and its desired outcomes, as stated in the plan, are:
“To create a stable and pleasant environment free from graffiti and flag flying in which all residents can feel safe.”
That phase was to be completed by the end of this month, and there is now a great deal of disillusionment in the community, as well as doubt about whether that vital work will be implemented at all. The Minister for Social Development must deliver on those commitments as a matter of urgency. She promised action, and we need to see those social problems addressed. Excuses are simply not good enough in this quite dire case.
The first part of the action plan is vital, as it deals with the physical condition of the estate and is key to creating a stable and pleasant environment for the people of the area. That is why it is so important that phase one of the plan is implemented. The flats need to be demolished, and a new link road between Dunclug Gardens and Dunclug Park would facilitate a new public transport route, which would radically change that environment and reduce the sense of ghettoisation that exists. Importantly, it would also reduce the opportunities for antisocial elements to carry out criminal acts.
Those who work in the community and voluntary sector in Dunclug are at the end of their tether. Youth work is being cut back significantly, the action plan ― or, rather, the “inaction plan”, as locals call it ― has been hampered by delays, and the major problems in the area such as vandalism and antisocial behaviour continue unabated.
We have a duty to ensure that that part of Ballymena is given the support that it so desperately needs. A common complaint that I hear is that there are not enough facilities and amenities at the top end of the town, and that the Ballymena North Business and Recreation Centre is a white elephant as far as people are concerned, because no one can afford to use it. The cinema, the bowling alley and fast food restaurants, etc, are all on the other side of town, and many young people simply do not feel safe going to those places. That is a fact, and there is an onus on us all, as elected representatives from all sides, to try to bring about a situation whereby no young Protestant or Catholic person feels intimidated by going into certain estates in the town.
Even over the weekend, a number of houses were attacked in the Millfield area, just beside Dunclug. The majority of those houses have Protestant residents, and I have serious concerns that certain elements are trying to make inroads into that area. The implementation of the action plan would go some way towards ensuring that those elements do not create the social problems that they have already visited on the area in recent years. All in all, that is a significant piece of work, and a lot more needs to be done on all sides to bring down those social barriers.
If the media crews that swarmed over Dunclug in 2006 were to revisit the estate, they would probably conclude that its physical condition has deteriorated further. They would also confirm, through interviewing residents, that little or nothing has changed for the better in the years since the Dunclug action plan was announced.
Barry Gordon, who was chairman of the Dunclug Partnership, greeted Minister Hanson and Minister Ritchie when they last visited Dunclug. He praised them both, and stated that he believed that change would be implemented. After Mr Hanson’s visit, he said:
“The Minister came to Dunclug in August. He saw for himself the problems that the area is facing. Now, he has delivered. … I am looking forward to seeing the Action Plan being delivered on the ground and making a difference to Dunclug.”
The failure to deliver on key aspects of the action plan has now seen Mr Gordon and his family being driven from their home in Dunclug by the very people from whom Mr Gordon tried to protect that community.
Barry’s belief that the full implementation of the action plan would disarm criminal elements in the estate was probably correct. The abysmal failure to implement the plan and create a safer and more stable environment in Dunclug has resulted in his family having to leave the estate due to intimidation. His story demonstrates that the Dunclug action plan has failed to deliver real social change in the area.
I conclude by urging the Minister to look again at that piece of work and to prioritise it, because there are a number of social problems in the Dunclug area. It is one of the most deprived areas in the North. However, there are criminal elements trying to get a foothold there, and if we do not nip the problem in the bud now, the havoc that those elements will wreak on that community will be ten-fold in a matter of years. Therefore, it is important that the issue is nipped in the bud, the action plan is implemented, and the people in Dunclug are given the better quality of life to which they are entitled.
Go raibh maith agat, a LeasCheann Comhairle.
The Minister for Social Development (Ms Ritchie): I thank all Members who contributed to today’s debate. I welcome the opportunity to respond to each of the contributions that were made; not least because it gives me the opportunity to clarify and correct some of the issues that were raised. I will try to address all the questions or points that Members raised. I will also study the Hansard report, and if I have left any questions unanswered, I will write to the Member concerned.
The Dunclug estate in Ballymena faces many challenges, not only in housing and regeneration, but in health, environment, drugs, crime, community division and general deprivation. If we are going to address those challenges successfully, all the agencies will have to work together along with the community and public representatives — the very point that was raised by Mervyn Storey and Declan O’Loan. Therefore, it is very disappointing to hear the promoter of the Adjournment debate turn Dunclug into a solely DSD issue around which Mr McKay engages in cheap party-political point scoring. Dunclug deserves better than that.
The action plan for the Dunclug estate in the north of Ballymena was launched in November 2006 and covers a four-year period between January 2007 and March 2011. The plan seeks to improve the physical condition of the estate, address crime and antisocial behaviour, and improve community cohesion and facilities for young people in the area.
As the Minister for Social Development, I have reviewed the Department’s priorities, and during a visit to the Dunclug estate in September 2007, I stated my commitment to ensuring that the actions in the plan are implemented. I welcome the significant progress that has been made, and I assure Members that my officials and I will remain committed fully to working with other Departments and stakeholders to ensure that the plan is implemented in full.
I am pleased to advise Members that nine actions in the plan have been completed. Those include new entrance features for the estate; a full-time community beat officer for the area; the extension of activities that are offered by the council’s community sports programme; a minority-ethnic needs audit; the establishment of a Housing Executive housing support and regeneration office in the estate; and the extension of Sure Start activities into the area.
Through the areas at risk programme, my Department has provided funding of more than £139,000 to deliver a youth outreach programme in the estate. As Members will be aware, that programme is time bound. However, I am glad that the North Eastern Education and Library Board has made an offer to the local community to continue delivering that service in the area.
In addition, more than £106,000 has been provided to deliver a parents and kids together project in the estate, and more than £103,000 has been provided for drug and alcohol outreach support. I am also pleased to report that a further 10 actions are being implemented. Those include a youth-justice agency; an early intervention programme and a parents’ support service; a school-based initiative to develop greater collaborative working between schools in the area; and a peripatetic support teacher for children from the Travelling community. Also included are additional community development work; a refurbishment of the community centre; new street lighting and footpaths, at a cost of more than £1·5 million; a new play park for the estate; and a £5,000 fund for community-based projects. To date, 13 projects, at a value in excess of £219,000, have been approved through the fund.
The Northern Ireland Housing Executive has started work already to demolish a number of properties that were blighting the estate. So far, 48 units have been demolished, and work to demolish a further 28 is well advanced. The completion of that work will support the wider regeneration of the estate.
With regard to further phases of the NIHE estate strategy, a detailed economic appraisal has been prepared. That has the potential to deliver real improvements to 264 homes that are in both private and public ownership throughout the estate. The proposed works include a range of internal and external repairs and renovations to homes; enhanced access to courtyards; improvements to main spine routes in the estate; and some general restructuring that, when delivered, will cost more than £2·6 million and will bring real improvements to the lives of those who live, work and play in the area.
The economic appraisal is still being assessed, and I understand that the Housing Executive is working to address queries that the Department of Finance and Personnel raised. I am assured that answers will be forthcoming, and I look forward to having the necessary approval for that work as soon as possible thereafter. However, even with approval, we must try to find the resources that are required to deliver the work.
By now, Members will be all too aware of the funding shortfall that is facing housing as a result of the collapse of the land and property market. Over the next two years, housing will be left short to the tune of £200 million. That loss of revenue means that the Housing Executive must reprioritise its work and start only those schemes for which funding is available.
Although the next phase of work at Dunclug has been identified as a high-priority scheme, the funding for its delivery is not yet secure. Without additional resources, the Housing Executive does not believe that it will be in a position to deliver the work before next March.
I assure Members that I will continue to press my ministerial colleagues for additional resources to make up for the massive shortfall in the housing budget, and I will continue to make the case that investment in housing is needed — not only for vital social reasons, but for strong economic reasons.
Members will be aware that I am not merely calling for more money. Recently, my party published proposals on how to find the extra money that is needed for housing and other priority areas. I invite Members across the House to explore those proposals further.
I regret that the lack of funding has affected other actions in the action plan. The piloting of police community support officers has been delayed due to a shortfall in PSNI funding, and Ballymena Borough Council’s application to the Arts Council’s re-imaging communities programme to remove political graffiti in the estate was unsuccessful. The proposal to provide closed-circuit television on the estate may not proceed either without the necessary funding.
Progress has been made on 19 of the 22 actions. Despite funding difficulties, that represents a remarkable start to making a difference in the estate and in bringing about the sort of improvements that Members have talked about today.
I will touch briefly on some of the issues that were raised by Members, particularly those raised by Daithí McKay. However, my response may simply be a re-emphasis of what I have said already. The areas at risk programme, through which the youth worker, the drugs outreach worker and the PAKT worker were funded is time-limited. All parties were made aware of that from the outset, and, as stated previously, I welcome the effort of continued youth support in the area. I encourage Mr McKay to work with the community to ensure that the offer of support from the North Eastern Education and Library Board is taken up.
The funding package for the play park is in place, planning permission has been received, tenders have been advertised and work will proceed as soon as possible. I am pleased to say that my Department has been able to provide funding of more than £138,000 to ensure the completion of the play park.
Mr McKay referred also to the lack of facilities in the north end of Ballymena, and he said that the Ballymena North project is a white elephant, because it is too expensive for locals to use. The Department recognises the need for good-quality facilities in Dunclug — that is why we have committed £138,000 for the refurbishment of the community centre in the middle of the estate. If there are concerns about the Ballymena North project, they should be addressed to Ballymena Borough Council.
I restate to Members and to the people of Dunclug my commitment to ensuring that all actions in the Dunclug action plan are implemented. I want to complete the much needed housing improvements in Dunclug — and in similar estates — as soon as possible, so I will continue to press my Executive colleagues to put housing on a firm financial footing.
I thank those Members who contributed positively to the debate. I assure them that my Department, the Housing Executive and I will continue to work closely with the local community and with all the other stakeholders to keep them up to date on progress with the proposed improvements for the Dunclug estate. That is the best signpost for hope that the Assembly, the Executive and all the agencies can give to the people of Dunclug, because that is what they deserve.