Work on Carrickmore and Gortin houses halted due to power issues

MAINTENANCE work on 20 Housing Executive properties in Carrickmore and Gortin has had to be delayed due to electricity issues.

The external maintenance work on the houses was originally due to have been completed by March this year.

However, the Housing Executive said the work has been unable to be finished due to ‘upgrading works’ by Northern Ireland Electricity (NIE).

Gordon Lyons, the Minister for Communities, the department in charge of the Housing Executive, said his officials had contacted the Housing Executive about the project.

“The contractor has been liaising with NIE in relation to a timescale for the upgrading works, but they are unable to provide a programme at this current time,” said Mr Lyons.

The Communities Minister made his comments on the Carrickmore/Gortin work in response to an Assembly question from West Tyrone SDLP MLA Daniel McCrossan about social housing improvement schemes in the West Tyrone region.

In his response, Mr Lyons also outlined some of the other improvement projects being planned by the Housing Executive in West Tyrone.

Some of the work is due to be carried out this year, with the rest of the maintenance projects happening next year.

Bathroom improvements are to be carried out in properties in the Meadow, Mitchel and Abbey areas of Fintona, with the work due to begin in June this year.

Improvements on the bathrooms in houses at Lisnafin Park in Strabane will begin in September this year.

A series of ‘multi element’ improvements are also to be carried out on properties in Lisnafin Park, with the work set to begin in November this year.

Properties in the Brookmount and Clonmore areas of Omagh will have their bathrooms and kitchens rewired, with the work due to begin in November this year.

Properties in the Drumnabey Park, Parkside Gardens and Listmore Park areas of Strabane are to have their bathroom and kitchens rewired, with the working beginning in May 2026.

Similar rewiring work will also be carried out on houses at Riverview and Fairview Gardens in Omagh, beginning in July 2026.