Social Democrats education spokesperson Jen Cummins and Cllr Lesley Byrne have today reiterated their support for residents seeking the reinstatement of Phase One of the Oliver Bond regeneration project after a meeting with the Minister for Housing and residents.<\/p>\n
Deputy Cummins said:<\/p>\n
\u201cAfter the meeting with Minister Browne, we welcome the decision to keep Bridgefoot street as a part of the plan for regeneration. The Minister has indicated his want to accelerate the plan and put a focus on the communities wants and needs.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s also positive to see the Minister finally agreeing to provide funding for urgent repairs, which residents have fought for for a long time.<\/p>\n
\u201cHowever, it was disappointing to see no commitment on the units. The community of Oliver Bond needs a concrete plan.<\/p>\n
\u201cCommunity representatives have made clear that the reinstatement of Phase One remains the central issue for the community, alongside the need for a credible and properly funded regeneration process that delivers long-term housing solutions.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe community has also outlined a number of key priorities for future engagement, including a joined-up regeneration approach for all affected areas, clear commitments and timelines for future phases, and the delivery of modern, suitable homes for residents and families.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe community is seeking proper support and engagement structures for residents, immediate investment in urgent repair and maintenance works, and ongoing direct engagement and accountability from Government.\u201d<\/p>\n
Councillor Lesley Byrne said:<\/p>\n
\u201cResidents have been absolutely clear about what they want: the reinstatement of Phase One and a genuine commitment to regeneration that delivers safe, modern and suitable homes.<\/p>\n
\u201cFamilies have been left living for too long in conditions that are unacceptable, and people are understandably frustrated by uncertainty and delays.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Government now has an opportunity to rebuild trust by listening to residents, engaging meaningfully with the community, and committing to clear actions and timelines.<\/p>\n
\u201cResidents must remain at the centre of all regeneration decisions – maintaining unsuitable housing conditions cannot be accepted as a long-term solution.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m glad to see some progress from the Minister but this community has received promises from the Government before. We must see action, and it needs to be soon. This community cannot keep living this way.\u201d<\/p>\n
May 19th, 2026<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Social Democrats education spokesperson Jen Cummins and Cllr Lesley Byrne have today reiterated their support for residents seeking the reinstatement of Phase One of the Oliver Bond regeneration project after a meeting with the Minister for Housing and residents. Deputy Cummins said: \u201cAfter the meeting with Minister Browne, we welcome the decision to keep Bridgefoot […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":12900,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[10,581,794,7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-17821","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-housing-crisis","category-jen-cummins","category-lesley-byrne","category-press-release"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n