Property portfolio site for sale in Ballyclare

KPL Contracts (Holm NI), the original owner of the massive 165-acre development site to the west of the town, went into administration last year.

KPL Contracts purchased the lands for a reported £55 million.

Planning permission had been granted for 1,800 residential properties, but to date only around 60 homes have been developed.

The site is now in new ownership.

The initial planned development included a proposal for a relief road which would link the Rashee Road to the Templepatrick Road.

TUV representative for South Antrim, Richard Cairns has welcomed the news that the site is now back on the market.

“It is positive news that the land formerly owned by KPL Contracts that was to be developed for housing before they went into liquidation is now being sold by the company which now owns it,” he said.

Mr Cairns believes that any new housing will be beneficial to the area, and that the introduction of the relief road is an urgent matter.

“While I welcome the many positive aspects that new housing can bring, the relief road that was to be provided by private developers as part of the aborted previous development needs to be incorporated into any future plans for this land. The road infrastructure is paramount to further development. Ballyclare is already far too congested as it is, and to potentially have so many households adding to the traffic, there simply needs to be a solution on the table before ground is broke,” Mr Cairns added.

TUV Councillor David Arthurs from Ballyclare believes that new housing could attract people to the area to live, but stresses that the relief road is needed.

“It is welcome news that there appears to be a glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel in regards to the development of this land. While housing would bring new people looking to settle in the area, it was sold to local people on the relief road. With that in mind any development needs to provide a relief road,” he said.