Newtownbreda

Coordinates: 54°33′36″N 5°54′47″W / 54.560°N 5.913°W / 54.560; -5.913 Newtownbreda is an electoral ward of Borough of Castlereagh in Northern Ireland. At one time "Newtownbreda" was a small village to the southeast of Belfast. However, it is now part of the Greater Belfast conurbation and Newtownbreda now tends to refer to the wider are from the tap shaps to the bottom shaps rather than to the old village. Today, Newtownbreda is very much a residential area of the middle class, with further houses and apartments only being completed within the last few years.

Newtownbreda has a secondary school and church. The Forestside Shopping Centre was developed by Sainsbury's between 1996 and 1998.[1] Other services include a library, dentist, Domino's and optician as well as a florist and shoe shop amongst other small businesses. Belvoir Park Golf Club is also located nearby.

1992 NIFSL bombing

On 23 September 1992 a Provisional IRA bomb destroyed the Northern Ireland Forensic Science Laboratory (NIFSL) at Newtownbreda.[2] The IRA had given a warning, and British Army bomb disposal experts were investigating an abandoned van when the explosion occurred. No people were killed or seriously injured, but forty-two houses were totally destroyed. Over one thousand homes in a radius of 1.5 miles (2.4 km) were damaged.[3][4]

A Tesco store was built on the site next to the NIFSL (on a brownfield site, formerly a Stewarts Warehouse) and opened in 2007.

The Belfast A55 "Outer Ring" dual carriage-way separates Newtownbreda from Belvoir Park Forest and Belvoir housing estate which is largely Northern Ireland Housing Executive-supplied housing. This dual carriage-way provides transport links to Belfast city centre, as well as the outskirts of the city.

References

  1. ↑ Morton, Robin (15 September 1998). "Forestside: a new era". Belfast Telegraph (Belfast Telegraph Newspapers Ltd.).
  2. ↑ Cowley, Martin (24 September 1992). "Bombing of forensic lab likely to disrupt courts". The Irish Times (The Irish Times).
  3. ↑ John D., Taylor (1 February 1993). "Bomb Damage (Newtownbreda)". Hansard, HC Deb, 01 February 1993, Vol. 218, cc117-24. UK Government. Retrieved 22 May 2015.
  4. ↑ "IRA blast damages over 1,000 homes". The Independent. 24 September 1992. Retrieved 22 May 2015.
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