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The
unionist residents of North Belfast now, more than
at any time since the early 70’s, strongly believe
that there is a nationalist strategy, engineered by
Sinn Fein, to drive them out of North Belfast. This
has been reinforced by organised street violence in
areas such as Tigers Bay, Glenbryn, White City and
Westland during the summer months. When we look at
coloured “before and after” maps of North
Belfast whole areas of land have changed their political
colour from being predominantly unionist to being
mixed and then to being predominantly nationalist.
For
the past 30 years unionist areas have been decimated,
and the people have been given no other option but
to move out to Newtownabbey, Carrickfergus, Ballyclare
and Antrim (one step closer to the boat). Do nationalists
really believe that population shifts such as this
were completely voluntary and free from pain and trauma?
Whereas nationalists refer to this population shift
as natural ‘demographic change’ unionists
regard it as ‘strategic expulsion’.
The
Shankill was one area that was supposed to see major
development from 1972, but all it witnessed was demolition
and deprivation. People were expecting quality family
homes to meet their needs but the statutory bodies
did not respond to that need. Families had no other
option but to seek quality housing elsewhere. Once
development was discussed there were no incentives
to bring families back into the area. The Shankill
experience was appropriately summed up by one commentator
as “The Rape of the Shankill”.
Moyard
estate in West Belfast became home to many Unionists
who left the Shankill when redevelopment came about
- but that was a short stay due to intimidation. Memories
of what happened in Moyard and New Barnsley serves
to heighten the perception of unionists in North Belfast
that the same ‘greening strategy’ is now
being used against them.
In
North Belfast we are aware of the long waiting lists
in nationalist areas to meet housing needs. We are
aware too that the waiting lists are not so long in
unionist areas. There is a reason for that that annoys
unionists as much as nationalists. When unionist areas
in North Belfast were being redeveloped the new developments
that replaced the old were less than what was expected.
For example some 400 fully occupied houses in White
City were demolished under the redevelopment scheme,
yet less than 200 were rebuilt. No one can argue that
prior to the redevelopment of the original 400 houses
that 200 of them were void and did not need to be
replaced.
The
reason there is no large waiting list for houses in
unionist areas of North Belfast is simply that quality
housing stock does not exist in those areas. How can
you have a waiting list for something that does not
exist? A new report entitled “Spaces of Fear”
which is due to be published in the next few months
supports the view that housing in unionist areas of
North Belfast is of a lower standard than those located
in neighbouring nationalist areas - so the myth that
we have better houses can be shelved.
Nationalists
claim that the landscape of North Belfast is characterised
by huge tracts of waste ground that in any other city
in the world would be prime development sites. What
they will not acknowledge is that these huge tracts
of land are the result of sectarian violence and an
inequitable redevelopment policy that sees unionists
as being more likely to be expelled from their traditional
community as their nationalist counterparts. One friend
of mine was born and reared in an area of North Belfast
which was mixed but is now totally nationalist. At
the height of the troubles people from outside that
area, but who claimed to speak for that area, asked
them to leave, not verbally, but forcefully. They
were intimidated out. I myself was born and reared
in North Belfast and contrary to republican thinking
the area I lived in was not rooted in raw sectarianism.
Most people were too busy getting on with life and
making a future for their families. Now we feel like
aliens - the great unwanted.
Sectarianism
is not a product of just one side of the community
and dialogue is still the only viable tool for breaking
down barriers - but dialogue also requires listening
to the other person’s story. Nationalists need
to listen to the story of my community and acknowledge
that we have the same problems as them. We have a
shared culture of deprivation that includes poverty,
bad quality housing, unemployment and suffering. I
do not wish to enter into the circle of blame and
victim-hood but unionists feel that their story has
never been fully told or indeed listened too and we
look forward to the days when this will be rectified.
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