Mc Cauley meets Housing Executive over plight of Brigade Terrace residents

Strabane Sinn Féin Councillor Jay Mc Cauley met with a senior Housing Executive official on Monday morning to press for the introduction measures to stop young people gaining access to the block of flats at Brigade Terrace so as to prevent its stairwells and common areas being used as a drinking den which has been happening on an almost daily basis.

The local councillor said,

“Residents of the six flats and adjoining homes at Brigade Terrace have described as an ‘ongoing nightmare’ the activities of young people who have been using the stairwells and common areas of the flats as a drinking den.

“On a number occasions, when residents of the flats have tried to prevent this happening by locking the entrance door it has been kicked in and the flats are regularly being occupied from as early as 4pm often right through until into the early hours of the following morning-with residents often unable to get up or down the stairs due to drinkers, who are mostly underage, refusing to budge.

“As well as damage to fittings and fixtures in the common areas, front doors of the individual flats have also been damaged.  After being contacted by residents, I witnessed the aftermath of this activity myself and was shocked to find human faeces and pools of urine among the debris left over from the ‘night before’.

“Given this and the overall anti-social nature of the behaviour of those using the flats as a drinking den who could fault its residents for no longer wanting to stay there or for local residents in the adjoining homes on Brigade Terrace also being at their wits end.

“I met with a senior Housing Executive official on site on Monday morning and he agreed that securing the flats, for tenants use only, was the immediate short-term priority.  The Housing Executive subsequently carried out a general clean up of common areas and is now also scheduling a remedial works maintenance programme to bring the flats up to an appropriate standard."