‘ [ Nelson McCausland ] has expressed himself in sectarian terms in the recent past and when he comes into office he makes a decision which reflects that – Barry Macdonald QC.
DUP minister Nelson McCausland was motivated by sectarianism in seeking to restrict expansion of north Belfast‘s Cathreducedulation in plans for regeneration of a former British army base, the High Court has heard.
A Scheme announced under former SDLP social development minister AlexAtwood in 2010 was to have involved building 200 homes on the site. However, after Mr McCausland took office revised proposals were announced which would see sport and educational facilities in the area. Housing numbers were reduced, with the court hearing that only 50 may be built. Launching the application for leave to seek a judicial review, Barry Macdonald QC argued there was ample evidence that Mr McCauseland made his opposition to the original plans known before he came was appointed minister, ” The simple reason for the decision was he didn’t want 200 Catholic families moving into this area,” he said. ” The minister’s decision was motivited by improper collateral purposes – a restriction of the expansion of the Catholic population in North Belfast and to conter the decline of the Protestant population.” The new masterplan, including separate blocks of new housing in traditionally Protestant and Catholic areas, was unveiled with representatives from Sinn Fein, the DUP and SDLP posing for photographs at the site.
At the time cross community support for the scheme was stressed. Mr Macdonald pointed out that only Mr McCausland and party colleague Nigel Dodds were ” grinning like Cheshire cats ” in the publicity photographs. ” There is an abundance of evidence giving raise to a reasonable inference that Mr McCausland was indeed motivated by sectarian considerations,” Mr Macdonald said. ” He has expressed himself in sectarian terms in the recent past and when he comes into office he makes a decision which reflects that.” Donal Lunny, responding for Mr McCausland, rejected the allegations of improper motivation. He told the court that the May 2012 decision was in line with the original masterplan five years previously and that it was his SDLP predecessors who had strayed from the blueprint. ” It was a perfectly proper act to stop what was considered to be out of step with the agreed proposals and reinstate something that was in keeping with them,” Mr Lunny said. He said that housing provision was only one of the aims of regeneration of the former British army barracks. Education, leisure and health provision were all to be taken into account. A lawer for Belfast City Council, which is to have responsibilty for a community hub at the centre of the proposals, emphasised the cross-party support from North Belfast politicians at the time of the announcement. David SScofield QC accepted that SDLP backing for the proposal has since ” seeped away to some degree”. But he said : ” This really was quite a remarkable achievement. It doesn,t suggest, as [Mr Macdonalad’s ] submissions may suggest, that there was some backroom deal between the DUP and Sinn Fein. ” Rather than some sinister scheme hatched in a backroom somewhere within the Stormont estate there has been broad community engagement with this process which the council has been sponsoring and working with for several years.” However, Mr Justice Treacy granted leave to seek a judicial review after ruling that an arguable case had been established. ” This is a very important case and it raises interesting issues,” he said. A full two-day hearing was listed for June.
WITH THANKS TO : IRISH NEWS.
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seachranaidhe1 
As Justice Treacy said “This is a very important case and it raises interesting issues,”. Will these interesting issues be exposed , watered down or censored. Will this be another issue endorsing “an unjust peace is better than no peace”. The above photo reveals much of the mindset ,behind these interesting issues.
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