The decision was made in a Westhoughton Town Council meeting on March 30, as members expressed confusion over some aspects of the scheme, including a planned £70m for a new link road.

Councillors also wanted to know what made the Metro Mayor so confident the Ryder Cup was going to come to Bolton, despite the number of other – already completed – golf courses vying for the same rights.

Cllr Arthur Price and Cllr Neil Maher at the plot of land in Westhoughton (Image: MyWesthoughton)

Cllr Arthur Price said: “We couldn’t have a crossing on Manchester Road because there was no money, but now Peel want a golf course they’ve managed to find £70m.

“I want to see confirmation that we have actually been shortlisted for the Ryder Cup – do they have it in writing?

“How is he guaranteeing £70m for something nobody knows anything about?

“It will never happen, it’s just a red herring.”

Councillors also expressed concern that, despite previous indications that a plan for the Ryder Cup golf course would be submitted in January, nothing no plans have yet been made public.

Cllr David Wilkinson said: “As far as I’m concerned, the golf course plans are dead in the water until Peel submit something.

The road is long and straight, which increases the likelihood of speeding, according to Cllr Price (Image: Dan Dougherty)

“And why should the taxpayer fund £70m for a road for Peel which hasn’t been confirmed?

“We need to speak to the mayor to ask him what he was doing when he backed the plans.

“If the new roads and trains he has promised for the Ryder Cup are good enough for those three days, why aren’t they good enough for the people who currently use those lines to commute?”

On the topic of Westhoughton’s rail lines, town councillor Jack Speight said: “We’d need to upgrade the line first, it’s not even electrified.

“Where is that money going to come from?”

The impact of the Ryder Cup on Westhoughton’s roads and amenities was also discussed, alongside the potential impact of the Platt Lane Development and the Lee Hall development.

(Image: NQ)

Cllr Martin Tighe said: “Park Avenue, near the development, is an avenue in the truest sense of the word.

“There’s nothing in the plans about widening it – it’ll cause more congestion in what is already one of the most congested areas.”

Tighe also expressed concern that the new course would harm the golf courses that already exist in the area, Westhoughton Golf Course being one.

Westhoughton Mayor Gillian Wroe, alongside the councillors, decided to write to Mr Burnham to invite him to a meeting during which they could discuss the plans.

​A motion calling for better water quality has been passed by Scarborough town councillors, while references to climate change were removed in a row over “focus and delivery”.

​​Issues with Scarborough’s bathing water quality have continued to persist and last year’s ratings saw the South Bay still classed as ‘poor’ and the North Bay’s bathing water quality classed as ‘sufficient’.

​At a full meeting of Scarborough Town Council on Wednesday, April 2, members clashed over how to approach the issue.

​A motion proposed by Cllr Rich Maw, Independent, proposed that the town council “recognises that scientific evidence demonstrates climate change impacts coastal water quality and marine ecosystems, and that residents and regular beach users are increasingly concerned about bathing water quality in both bays”.

​It called for the council to also recognise “its powers do not extend to regulating water quality, which remains the responsibility of the Environment Agency”.

​However, an amendment by Reform’s Cllr William Stuart saw a “focussed” motion tabled after he raised concerns about high workloads that the original proposal would have entailed for council staff.

Stc Amended And Approved Water Quality Motion Proposed By Cllr William Stuart.

​Cllr Stuart’s motion, which was approved by the Reform-led authority, recognised “the importance of bathing water quality in South Bay and North Bay to residents, visitors, and the local economy”.

​Both motions set out to engage with Yorkshire Water and the Environment Agency to seek “clear information on causes of water quality issues affecting Scarborough’s beaches”.

​The amended motion also requested “periodic written updates to be presented to the council, subject to available officer capacity”.

Original Stc Water Quality Motion Proposed By Cllr Rich Maw.

​Speaking at the meeting, Cllr William Stuart said: “I agree that the coastline is one of our greatest assets and water quality is important to our residents and they do deserve us to speak on their behalf.”

​He added: “Regarding climate change and anthropogenic climate change, no one would argue we have climate change.”

​The amended motion, which was approved with the support of Reform councillors while Independent and Labour councillors voted against it, concluded: “Prioritise engagement activities to ensure they are proportionate to council resources, and that officer time is used efficiently and effectively.”

Scarborough Town Council Full Meeting 02.04.26

​Cllr Maw said: “It’s an inescapable fact that climate change is linked to this, and there’s absolutely no way that we can talk about a subject such as combined sewer outlets, surface water mixing in combined sewers, without understanding why we’re in this position.”

​He added: “To amend this motion without understanding that would be a failure for us to recognise the importance of understanding climate science. So it’s not abstract, and it’s not theoretical because it’s actually already affecting our coastline.”

President Trump signed an executive order aimed at fixing college sports Friday that would give federal agencies authority to cut funding at schools that don’t comply with mandates covering transfers, eligibility and pay-for-play in the rapidly changing industry.

The order is a laundry list of proposed fixes, many of which lawmakers and college leaders have been pushing for since the approval of a $2.8 billion settlement changed the face of games that were once played by pure amateurs.

Among the notable parts of the order was a call to establish “clear, consistent and fair eligibility limits, including a five-year participation window” — an element that could fend off the dozens of lawsuits the NCAA has faced of late.

It also calls for “structured transfer rules,” but offered no specifics for a system that allows players to move around freely, sometimes in the middle of the season, which adds uncertainty to roster building that many consider unsustainable.

As much as the changes he directs, Trump’s call for the Education Department, the Federal Trade Commission and the attorney general’s office to evaluate “whether violations of such rules render a university unfit for Federal grants and contracts” stands out as a proactive way to force change.

Several universities across the country have made policy changes related to diversity, equity and inclusion, transgender rights and even the sorts of courses they teach to comply with federal orders and avoid funding-related showdowns with the government.

At a college sports roundtable last month, Trump said he anticipated any order he signed would trigger litigation. Attorney Mit Winter, who follows college sports law, agreed, saying the order “appears to direct the NCAA to create rules that would likely violate” court orders.

NCAA President Charlie Baker, however, did not signal any intent to litigate, saying Trump’s order “reinforces many of our mandatory protections — including guaranteed health care coverage, mental health services and scholarship protections.”

“This action is a significant step forward, and we appreciate the administration’s interest and attention to these issues,” Baker said. “Stabilizing college athletics for student-athletes still requires a permanent, bipartisan federal legislative solution.”

Trump, in the order, also called on Congress to “quickly pass legislation,” the likes of which has stalled multiple times.

The president’s mandate is likely to set up a situation where the NCAA and schools have to decide whether to follow a federal court order or an executive order, Winter said.

“Federal court orders prohibit the NCAA from making athletes sit out a season if they transfer more than once and prohibit the NCAA from enforcing rules that limit collectives from being involved in recruiting,” he said. “The EO appears to direct the NCAA to create rules that would likely violate both of these court orders. Will the NCAA create rules that do that? And if they do, will schools follow them?

“Either way, we’re likely going to see litigation challenging the EO by athletes and third parties.”

Winter added that the order also appears to urge schools to pay new revenue share amounts.

“Most schools are paying 90-95% of their rev-share funds to men’s basketball and football players,” he said. “And those funds are already promised via contracts signed with those athletes. Will the order purport to make schools not adhere to those contracts?”

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AP Sports Writer Maura Carey contributed.

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Ethan Towers, 27, was jailed for life for raping a baby five times while John Watson, 28, was also jailed for life for encouraging the abuse at Cambridge Crown Court

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Two men have been handed life sentences after a baby was subjected to rape on five occasions last summer.

Ethan Towers, 27, and John Watson, 28, were branded “dangerous and a risk to the public” by a judge before receiving their custodial terms.

Cambridge Crown Court was told that Towers, from St Ives, Cambridgeshire, carried out five rapes against the infant while Watson, from Westcliff-on-Sea, Essex, incited him to commit the abuse. Judge Mark Bishop remarked that the “youth of the baby was extreme”.

Towers received a minimum term of 12 years and five months while Watson was sentenced to 13 years and four months imprisonment on Wednesday (April 1).

The court was informed that Towers transmitted indecent photographs of children to Watson. Watson, who was already subject to a sexual harm prevention order due to prior convictions, also exchanged explicit material with another minor under the age of 16.

Towers entered guilty pleas to five counts of rape while Watson admitted two counts of causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity. The 28 year old also pleaded guilty to multiple offences relating to indecent images of children and engaging in sexual communication with a child.

In addition to their life terms, both men were made subject to restraining orders. They were also required to pay a victim surcharge of £228, reports the Express.

The judge presented a victim impact statement from the baby’s mother during proceedings. She expressed that the trauma has left her feeling “more isolated and fearful than ever”.

A victim statement from a child contacted by both men on social media was also read aloud by the judge. The young person described feeling “set free” after Towers and Watson were convicted.

The judge stated he was “satisfied” that both defendants were “dangerous and a risk to the public”. Cambridgeshire Police confirmed it had referred the matter to the relevant safeguarding authorities.

In an interview with The Times, Lord Walker, who is also the Government’s cost-of-living tsar, said he agreed with his fellow high street giant boss and said: “We call it shoplifting, which sounds like a cheeky bit of pilfering, but actually we should just call it out for what it is, which is violent crime.

The Tory leader said the people who have moved over to Reform and are “his problem now” on a visit to Wilton in Redcar on Thursday (April 2).

It comes after the former UKIP leader launched a campaign in Houghton-le-Spring last week ahead of the local elections, saying Britain was broken.

In a speech at Sunderland Live Arena, the Clacton MP said the May 7 polls were a “referendum on our entire political class”.

In recent months, several high profile Tories have jumped ship to Reform, including former chancellor Nadhim Zahawi, former shadow minister Robert Jenrick, and former home secretary Suella Braverman.

But during her visit to Redcar, where she announced that a Conservative Government would axe carbon tax, Ms Badenoch criticised some of the defectors. 

She said: “I think I’ve been very clear that Nigel Farage has been doing my spring cleaning. These are people who were causing problems in the Conservative Party. 


“They’re his problem now.” 

Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch in Sunderland (Image: owen humphreys)

Ms Badenoch made the comments responding to a question about former Reform housing spokesman Simon Dudley, who was sacked this week after he said the Grenfell Tower fire in London was a “tragedy” but that “everyone dies in the end”.

The Tory leader said: “The fact is, it is quite inappropriate to say everyone dies in response to a tragedy. 

“That’s the sort of chaos you get from Reform, they are full of people who are in politics, not for public service, but for self service, and we are well shot of them.” 

During the launch in Sunderland, Nigel Farage said the party would campaign on “local policies” and on seeking to control council tax levels, but that the local elections would also be a “vital stepping stone” to changing the Westminster Government.

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage in Sunderland (Image: NORTH NEWS AND PICTURES)

He said: “This effectively will be a referendum on our entire political class and our message is simple.

“If you want real change, if you want different people, if you want those with the courage, who are prepared to stand up and put the interests of British people first, not international treaties or bogus organisations, if you want people who will make sure that it’s British people that go to the top of social housing lists, and not young men who’ve just arrived by boat, if you want change on May 7, you’ve got a chance to vote for change.”

He added: “Something remarkable is happening out there, and it’s because people understand that the two-party system has broken Britain.”

“We’ll begin on May 7, with that campaign, and indeed for the general election, May 7 is an essential, vital stepping stone.

“While local government matters, it’s winning national government ultimately that we have to achieve to change things and turn this country around, change attitudes, and get out of the negativity of managed decline.

“Let’s start believing in Britain and believing in ourselves.”

Stormont’s Economy Minister has called for fuel duty to be slashed amid rising costs

The cost of petrol and diesel is continuing to rise across Northern Ireland with some forecourts closing to customers due to fuel shortages. The Consumer Council’s Fuel Price Checker, which is updated weekly, shows that the current average price of petrol in Northern Ireland is 149.1p per litre, while diesel is 177.8p.

Compared to last week, the cost of petrol has risen by 4.5p while diesel has increased by 8.1p. Since March 5, soon after the US-Israel war with Iran began, the average price of petrol has increased by 22.9p per litre, while diesel has risen by 44p.

The price of fuel varies depending on where you are in Northern Ireland, with some areas coming in below the regional average. Fuel prices here are set by independent retailers based on global oil costs, exchange rates, and local competition at forecourts.

READ MORE: Stormont Minister calls for ‘immediate reduction’ in fuel dutyREAD MORE: Minister says ‘fuel continues to be delivered as normal’ amid concerns of shortages

This week, the cheapest place locally to buy petrol is the Dungannon area, where prices are 6.7p below average at 142.4p per litre. Magherafelt is the most expensive area to fill up on petrol, with prices 7.8p above average at 156.9p.

For diesel, Coleraine is the cheapest area to buy this week, with prices 7p below average at 170.8p per litre. Armagh is currently the most expensive area to buy diesel in, with prices 8.1p above average at 185.9p.

The continually rising prices have led to Stormont’s Economy Minister urging the UK Government to immediately slash fuel duty. Minister Archibald said she raised concerns over the impact of petrol and diesel prices during discussions with the Cabinet Office on Thursday morning, and also in a letter to Business and Trade Secretary Peter Kyle.

She pointed to action which has been taken by the Irish government to temporarily reduce excise duty for motor fuels as the impact of the war in the Gulf continues.

“Fuel duty must be reduced as a matter of urgency,” she said. “Petrol and diesel prices across the north have risen by between 20% and 40% in just a matter of days, creating sudden and unmanageable costs for households and businesses.

“The Irish government has already acted by reducing Mineral Oil Tax across petrol, diesel and marked gas oil. That action has been widely welcomed by consumers and businesses in the south.”

Ms Archibald said the UK Government “must now act with the same urgency.”

“Alongside an immediate reduction in fuel duty, the planned fuel duty increases due to come into effect from September must be withdrawn if fuel prices remain elevated,” she said.

A spokesperson for the Treasury said: “We have the right economic plan for a more volatile world, taking a responsible approach to supporting working people in the national interest.

“Fuel duty is frozen until September and we’re enabling targeted support for those facing higher heating oil costs. We’re also acting to protect people from unfair price rises if they occur and to bring down food prices at the till.”

For all the latest news, visit the Belfast Live homepage here and sign up to our daily newsletter here.

Cameron Boozer was at the center of everything for Duke this season.

The 6-foot-9, 250-pound forward proved tough enough to score through physical play. Rangy enough to space the floor and shoot from outside. Deft enough as a passer to find teammates, whether against constant double teams coming for him as the top name on every scouting report or while running the entire offense from up top.

“You just want to affect winning in whatever way you can,” Boozer said.

The high-end NBA prospect did that all season for a team that won 35 games, reached No. 1 in the AP Top 25 poll, claimed the top overall seed for March Madness and reached the NCAA Tournament’s Elite Eight. Now he’s The Associated Press men’s college basketball national player of the year, only the fifth freshman to earn the honor and the second in a row for a Duke program that keeps adding to the longest list of winners in the country.

“It just goes to show more about what our team has done, just because I think that really helps awards like this, having great team success,” Boozer told the AP. “It’s really just not me.”

Boozer, named unanimous first-team AP all-American last month, received 59 of 61 votes from AP Top 25 voters in results released Friday. BYU freshman AJ Dybantsa, another potential top NBA pick, received the other two votes after averaging a national-best 25.5 points per game.

A short list

Boozer, son of Duke and longtime NBA player Carlos Boozer, ranked averaged 22.5 points (ninth in Division I) and 10.2 rebounds (12th) while finishing tied for the national lead with 22 double-doubles. He also averaged 4.1 assists while posting efficient shooting numbers at 55.6% overall and 39.1% from 3-point range.

He joins fellow Blue Devils star Cooper Flagg last year, another Duke player in Zion Williamson (2019), Kentucky’s Anthony Davis (2012) and Texas star Kevin Durant (2007) as freshmen to win the AP award. Each went No. 1 or No. 2 in the NBA draft that year.

“I’m very grateful just that I’m even in those (NBA) conversations,” Boozer said. “I think a lot of people dream of being where I am. Sometimes you’ve got to take a step back and just remember that once upon a time, you were a kid dreaming to be here. So I think it’s very special.”

His coaches think the same of him.

“We’ve been fortunate enough the last two years to have two of the best freshmen to ever play in college basketball back to back,” Duke associate head coach and former Blue Devils player Chris Carrawell said. “And Cam is right up there.

Boozer is Duke’s ninth AP winner, each coming from a different player. UCLA is the next closest with five winners, though that included Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (1967 and 1969) and Bill Walton (1972 and 1973) as two-time selections.

UCLA, Ohio State and Duke rival North Carolina are the only other programs with as many as three different players to win the award.

Big-game successes

Boozer arrived at Duke alongside twin brother Cayden after the two led Miami’s Columbus High to four straight state championships. By late February, the Blue Devils were starting a four-week reign atop the AP Top 25 that would carry to March Madness. Boozer — who said he looks at winning as a skill — routinely posted top performances in Duke’s biggest games, including during a rugged nonconference slate.

He matched a season high with 35 points in a November win against Arkansas. He followed with 29 points against defending national champion Florida. He also had big performances at Michigan State (18 points, 15 rebounds) and flirted with a triple-double (18 points, 10 rebounds, seven assists) in a February win against Michigan.

Along the way, he pushed through bumps and shoves. He closed Sunday’s season-ending loss to UConn with 27 points and his right eye swollen from a first-half blow.

“There’s no agenda other than figuring out a way to win,” Wolverines coach Dusty May said. “I’ve seen him play a number of times this year where there’s six guys in the paint, and it’s not as if he’s jumping 40, 50 inches off the floor. His desire to rebound the ball, to set physical screens, to play to his advantages, is as impressive as any freshman that I can recall.”

Managing pressure

The other challenge was managing the scrutiny that comes from expectations for greatness. A missed shot. A turnover. The 3-for-17 shooting while battling rising frustration and Virginia shot-blocker Ugonna Onyenso in the ACC title game.

“He does a great job of flushing it and not letting it dwell on him too much,” Cayden said. “That’s something he’s always been able to do since we were younger. Obviously I talk to him when he needs me to. And I sometimes just understood that, hey, he’s going through something, give him some space for a little bit and he’ll figure it out.”

Cameron said getting away for time alone and putting down the phone helps. He points to prayer and even a recent effort to read more.

The rest of the time, though, he’ll throw himself into becoming a better player. There’s comfort in that routine, the results yet to fail him.

“I think just being prepared alleviates pressure,” Cameron said. “Being ready for a game, watching film, working out, knowing you put your time in, being confident in yourself — I think all that takes away a lot of the pressure that people talk about. At the end of the day, pressure really is what you put on yourself.”

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AP March Madness bracket: https://apnews.com/hub/ncaa-mens-bracket and coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/march-madness

I had a sneak peek at what the Loftlines development will bring to Belfast when it opens in the Titanic Quarter this summer

Construction work is due to be completed this summer on Loftlines – a landmark development that will bring 778 new homes to Belfast city centre.

Set within the iconic Titanic Quarter, Loftlines is one of Northern Ireland’s most ambitious regeneration projects and will be the city’s first major residential scheme to be built in 25 years. The development is home to Northern Ireland’s first Build-to-Rent (BTR) homes.

Ahead of the scheme opening to the public in July or August, Belfast Live was given the opportunity to spend some time in a similar scheme in England. Build-to-Rent schemes have massively increased in popularity across England over the last decade, with many opting to move into similar developments in places like Liverpool, Manchester and London.

The scheme in Belfast has been created by Legal and General, which owns a development in Leeds called Tower Works, where I stayed for a couple of days to get a feel for what living in one would be like. This development, much like Loftlines in Titanic Quarter, is pretty central but not directly in the middle of the city, so it didn’t feel too busy around it.

What can people expect?

I stayed in a studio apartment in the Canalside building, and, like many BTR schemes, it is one of a few buildings in the development. While the apartment was not massive by any stretch of the imagination, it was very modern and really well presented throughout. The finishings on it were great and had a lot of storage for such a small space, which definitely helped make it feel bigger.

Even though this was a studio, it was designed so the bedroom still felt separate, not the kind where you felt like you were sleeping in the kitchen. It is worth noting that the apartment range spans from studios to three bedrooms, and the best fit depends on lifestyle and needs.

From the moment we arrived, it was noticeable staff were very friendly, and the front-of-house team at reception were on hand for anything we needed. This concept, in itself, is a little alien to Belfast, with few developments offering a full-time receptionist to help with any needs.

Something equally as handy was that they were on hand for any parcels you might be having delivered, which are then kept in a secure room for you to collect when you’re ready. This in itself will save so much time trekking to the post office for another missed parcel, and something many would find very handy.

While there, I was shown around the amenities, in both Tower Works and Tura, a new BTR scheme in Leeds, to see what was on offer. There was a gym on-site and it was definitely high-end, but it was something we could see in other developments throughout Belfast.

However, it was the other amenities, like the large private dining facilities you can rent for you and a group to host dinner parties, that showed this is bringing something brand new.

It didn’t stop there; there were communal ‘living spaces’ where groups could gather to watch TV on large screens, which would be great for things like the World Cup. There were also pool and shuffleboard tables you could play on at any time.

On top of this, there were also places to work ‘from home’, but also feel like you were getting out of your apartment. These amenities went a long way toward expanding your living quarters beyond the apartment you were in to the entire building.

Often, a complaint about apartment living is the lack of outdoor space, and once again, these schemes try to tackle this issue. While they don’t have private gardens, they do have large communal courtyards and rooftops that anyone can use to catch a few rays during the warmer months.

However, these spaces are completely redundant if no one uses them as they are intended. During our stay, there was a community event to celebrate Eid with a wreath-making class. I went along to see how much interest there was among residents in these events and to find out from them what it was like to live here long-term.

About 20 people showed up and the activity took place at a large table, so everyone had an opportunity to chat. I spoke to one group and asked them openly whether it was as good as I had perceived so far. This group all came to live in this development as strangers, but were now firm friends as a result of resident events.

They were all from different walks of life and ages, but were able to actually bond as neighbours, which is something that rarely happens these days. They now all arrange to go to these events together and also meet up outside of resident events.

A community has clearly been created there through the hard work of the staff, who all arrange and put on these events. Most of which are free, and those that aren’t carry a small charge, depending on what it is. These friendships were real and would not have happened had they not lived here. It is not easy to bring people together anymore, and this scheme has succeeded in doing so.

BTR is brand new for the local market, and before now, the two most popular avenues for housing were private rental or home ownership. This differs in the sense that every apartment within the building will remain in Legal and General’s hands and only ever be rented out, but not like a typical private rental with a landlord.

Loftlines in Belfast is making fast progress ahead of its planned opening this summer, so I visited the site and compare what I had seen in England. While there is still some way to go before it is habitable, the show apartments matched the quality of those in Leeds and really lines up with the strategy they have in other schemes.

Like Leeds and other BTR schemes, Belfast will have on-site staff available at all times. Much of the same amenities like a gym, private dining room, games area and outdoor space. It also now has some incredible views of one of the best parts of Belfast, the Titanic Quarter.

Iconic site ‘overshadowed’

Steeped in history, the Titanic Quarter, before Loftlines, was home to the Titanic Museum – named the world’s leading tourst attraction in 2016 – and hotel, but not much else. There was very limited development there prior to this, except for The Arc, which meant it had some wide-open spaces. Loftlines has come under fire for being quite an imposing addition to our skyline and blocking the view of the architectural spectacle that is the Titanic Museum.

While it would be ideal to always have uninterrupted views of such buildings, it was always in the plan to develop the area and add more housing.

When renting one of the apartments, a basic set of furniture, including a dining table, chairs, a sofa, a bed, and a mattress, will be provided. On top of this, residents are free to, and encouraged to, decorate as they please. This includes hanging things on the wall and painting if they wish. If a tenant wishes to decorate but doesn’t fancy DIY, the scheme can provide someone to paint at a cost. There will also be maintenance on site, which means that if any issues arise with your apartment, they will be solved quickly in-house.

The Loftlines development has supported 650+ jobs and local businesses through the construction and delivery of the scheme. £92 million has already been spent locally within 40 miles of the scheme, with 90% of the supply chain partners being local. In addition, around 50% of personnel working on the scheme are from BT1-BT17 postcodes.

There are further plans for the development, which include a convenience store and a restaurant. This will serve the general public and add further employment opportunities for the city.

One fear is that, in developing this, there would be no sympathy for the area’s, the city’s, and indeed the country’s history. So when posed with the question about whether it was considered when planning the scheme, I was told that “the interiors were designed by one of the UK’s most experienced BTR interior design specialists, Lister + Lister, who were inspired by the rich heritage of the area and authentic colour palettes found in Belfast’s iconic dry docks and this can be seen in what has been delivered so far”.

Major step forward

We are in the midst of a housing crisis throughout the country, and this is a major step forward in addressing Northern Ireland’s housing shortage. It also provides market choice for those who want elevated city living. It will also go some way toward addressing the issue of a large number of student accommodation units in the city, leaving young professionals moving out of those areas with more choice about where to go next.

Belfast experiences high levels of ‘brain drain’ as it stands, so it will be interesting to see whether this trend helps reduce it.

This scheme will not only plug a gap in the housing market but also raise the standards of the private rental market, as it will have to compete with Loftlines and the amenities it offers. It isn’t perfect, but it marks a new era for the city and will bring it into line with other major cities, offering people elevated living in the heart of Belfast.

At the time of publishing, pricing for Loftlines was unavailable, but Belfast Live was told “it will be competitive”.

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