A planning application has been submitted for social housing on the controversial Nelson Street in Belfast, reports One News Page.

The site, currently owned by Big Picture Developments, is the target for a mixture of private and social housing to be developed by the Housing Executive.

According to BBC News, the executive said it could make the application on the site because a previous social housing permission, granted before Big Picture bought the site, had expired.

The overall application includes 50 two-bed apartments, four four-bed townhouses and ten three-bed townhouses from the executive. 238 apartments will be provided by Big Picture. 20 per cent of all the accommodation would be social housing.

This means the social housing section of the project may require those in housing management jobs to monitor the upkeep of the brand new apartments.

Controversy over the site arose when the 238-apartment project was withdrawn before talks at a Belfast City Council Meeting. The Housing Executive pointed the finger at Big Picture, stating that the project was "inconsistent" with the social housing area plan and that the land was specially designated for social housing.

However, the executive had a change of heart, writing to planners that it was "withdrawing the request for social housing at the scheme."

Now, it seems the two institutions have come to a compromise on the land, with both private and social housing set to be built on the area.