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In the-Coleraine Park Area some 50% of the properties are owned by one property company which had been
persuaded and encouraged by officers of this Department to embark on a comprehensive rehabilitation programme
which had started prior to the survey. Over 90% of the properties are singly occupied and the various types and
present condition of the properties were currently known to the Department. A sample survey only was
therefore conducted. Admittedly this did not allow an officer to interview each household on the estate, but this
was of less significance as 50% were already aware of their property owners' proposals. A 100% survey would
have been preferable but this was not within the Department's capabilities and there were very good grounds,
in view of the housing improvement activity, for declaring this area.
The survey of the Middle Lane area was made simpler because a large part of the area had been inspected the
same year under the inspection area programme to determine appropriate houses for Part III clearance action.
The total of six areas is now operative.
Durban Road 121 dwellings July 1970
Clonmell Road 351 dwellings November 1970
Noel Park 2,797 dwellings March 1971
Clarendon Road 264 dwellings July 1971
Coleraine Park 610 dwellings April 1972
Middle Lane 68 dwellings October 1972
In each of these areas the Council has either improved its own houses or had included them in a programme for
improvement. The progress since declaration in the improvement of privately owned houses up to the end of the
year is shown in the following table. It should be noted that some applications for grants had been received
prior to declaration and this particularly applies to the Coleraine Park area.

NOTE: The figures in brackets indicate the number of privately owned dwellings considered suitable for
improvement with grant aid.
In declaring 6 areas comprising some 1,800 private properties since the beginning of 1970 the Council has well
exceeded its original proposed programme of some 400 properties per annum. Progress with both house and
environmental improvements is constrained by availability of professional staff. The Council acknowledged
towards the end of the year that because of other commitments insufficient effort was being directed towards
securing the improvement of houses in declared areas. They therefore passed the following resolution: —
"That work on the existing 5 GIAs and the 6th to be declared in October be consolidated and that consideration
be given to the merits of area improvement in cases where it is decided not to proceed with clearance in
inspection areas or to areas where spontaneous enthusiasm develops as a result of decision by owners such as
occurred on the Coleraine estate."
To secure the rehabilitation of 5 houses comprising 10 dwellings in Durban Road proved unexpectedly
difficult. In-1969 the Council entered into a formal agreement with the owners to rehouse the existing tenants
and have the right to nominate tenants to the improved dwellings. By September 1970 all the tenants had been
rehoused but by the beginning of 1972 no positive steps had been taken by the owners to repair and improve
the houses and they became an "eyesore" in the middle of the area. In March the Council made a compulsory
purchase order on the properties; but by the end of the year the Borough Valuer and Estate Surveyor had
managed to negotiate their purchase and the compulsory purchase order procedure was halted. A decision was
taken later to demolish these houses and consideration is currently being given as to the most suitable future
use of the cleared land.
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