Defence Online

The new owners of Junction One are planning to build a large housing development beside the retail park, it can be revealed. The Lotus Group bought the Antrim centre along with The Outlet in Banbridge earlier this year in a deal worth £40m.Now the owners are planning to build a series of housing developments, starting off with 45 new properties metres from the site, called Ferrard Meadow, at the Ballymena Road.It could end up building more than 100 properties if it gets planning permission.The company has carried out a six-week consultation period with businesses and existing homes in the area.The Lotus Group is planning to build Ferrard Meadow in three stages, with work starting in early 2017 if it receives planning permission.The first phase would see 45 homes being built, including 11 detached, 26 semi-detached and eight apartments.It is then planning a further 55 properties over the next two phases of the development.In a document produced for the community consultation, those behind the scheme said the housing development would bring a “range of badly needed benefits for the local economy in terms of job opportunities for suppliers and construction jobs”.The new housing plan is just one of several major schemes planned across Northern Ireland.Plans have been lodged to build almost 400 new homes just outside Coleraine, made up of a mixture of three and four-bedroom homes alongside a number of apartments.The application has been made by a Mr and Mrs McGrath, who live close by, in tandem with Coleraine architects GM Design Associates.In May, it was revealed plans were under way to build 800 new homes in Londonderry as part of a £100m development.Meanwhile, Carryduff firm Fraser Houses hopes to build 1,000 properties off Movilla Road in Newtownards.The Rivenwood project is expected to create approximately 500 jobs and will take between 10 and 12 years to complete.Lagan Homes has said it is planning to construct 550 family houses in two locations in Bangor in a major £90m development.But in Belfast city centre, design and cost problems have delayed a luxury £13m apartment block by up to a year.The 75-flat Matic building was due to include a 22m pool, private gym, 24-hour concierge service and four penthouse apartments.However, those behind the development said they had “made a commercial decision not to proceed immediately with construction”.