Northern Ireland

Housing executive warns tenants to refuse entry to Co Tyrone contractor

Carrick Hill resident Lynn Atcheson with community worker Frank Dempsey. Picture by Mal McCann.
Carrick Hill resident Lynn Atcheson with community worker Frank Dempsey. Picture by Mal McCann. Carrick Hill resident Lynn Atcheson with community worker Frank Dempsey. Picture by Mal McCann.

The Housing Executive has warned tenants in north Belfast not to allow a named sub-contractor into their homes.

A letter was delivered to homes in the Carrick Hill area days after the executive confirmed that a contract linked to refurbishment work in the area had been terminated.

In an unusual move executive bosses named construction firm Nealon Contacts Ltd and told residents to refuse the contractor entry.

Last month the Housing Executive said that Tyrone-based company, QMAC Construction, had terminated a contract with an unnamed subcontractor.

A spokesman for the executive said the sub-contractor is Nealon Contracts Ltd and said it has “written out to the tenants affected to keep them informed”.

The work is being carried out as part of a Housing Executive refurbishment scheme.

Dozens of complaints have been made by tenants in north Belfast about work carried out as part the scheme, which involves replacing bathrooms and kitchens.

Carrick Hill resident Lynn Atcheson complained about poor paint work and a smell of urine coming from bathrooms in her home.

The housing Executive letter said: “With reference to the bathroom/kitchen scheme at your property, please be aware that Nealons subcontractor are no longer permitted to access your home for any purpose.

“Should any contractor try to gain access to your home, please ensure you ask for photographic identification.

“If Nealons try to gain access to your home, please refuse entry and contact our scheme admin in your local housing executive office.”

SDLP assembly member for north Belfast Nichola Mallon said “we are aware that there is at least 100 homes that have left in unacceptable condition in north Belfast”.

She said she is also “being contacted by residents in west Belfast”.

“The scope of this and the costs of it to the public purse seems to be considerable and requires a wider investigation and enquiry,” she said.

Frank Dempsey from Carrick Hill Residents’ Association said: “I am calling for an enquiry into the handling of these schemes."

Mr Dempsey added that the scheme has had a “major impact” on local residents.

A spokesman for QMAC said: “As the matter is now subject to legal proceedings, it would be inappropriate to further comment at present.”

Nealon Contracts Ltd did not respond to attempts to contact them.

A spokesman for the Housing Executive said “the performance of a contractor on improvement schemes in North Belfast has raised a number of concerns.

“These have arisen from our own routine inspections and management of the contracts as well as through complaints by tenants,” he said.

The spokesman added that it was taking the matter “very seriously and each one of these complaints has been investigated by our technical staff and this poor performance has been formally highlighted to the contractor through the appropriate contractual mechanisms”.

The spokesman said there will be no additional cost to the public.

“As the Housing Executive only pays the principal contractor for work that has been completed, inspected and signed off there is no additional cost to the public purse," he said.