Communities minister Gordon Lyons told the Stormont Assembly on Monday 15 April, that the time limit for owners to make defective building claims is to be extended
Lyons revealed intentions to align the law with that of England and Wales, following controversy surrounding the Victoria Square apartments in Belfast.
In April 2019, residents of Victoria Square had to leave their apartments following the assessment of a structural column.
In a joint lawsuit estimated to be worth £25m, Ulster Garden Villages Ltd and individual owners claimed for structural defects.
Farrans and Gilbert-Ash construction companies, along with the architecture firm Building Design Partnership, all refuted any responsibility.
The trio of defendants successfully petitioned to have the case dismissed, citing that it was time-barred.
The current law on defective building claims puts citizens at a disadvantage
Residents’ bids for compensation were struck out in court last month due to the law in Northern Ireland requiring claims to be made within six years of a building’s completion.
Lyons told the assembly that he would, therefore, introduce new legislation under an accelerated process to “address the unfair disparity that currently exists and disadvantages our people.”
The new legislation will extend the statutory time limit to 30 years
Speaking to the assembly, Lyons said that he intended to bring new legislation to “provide the same protection associated with defective premises for citizens in Northern Ireland as afforded elsewhere in the UK.
“The proposed Bill will introduce new provisions to the Limitation (Northern Ireland) Order 1989, establishing a retrospective period of up to 30 years and a prospective period of up to 15 years in which a party can take action for defective premises.”
