Concerns mount as new £143M Antrim mental health facility pushed back to 2030
- Michelle Weir (Local Democracy Reporter)
- Aug 29
- 2 min read
Aerial CGI view of the proposed new mental health facility in Antrim – Birch Hill.
The Northern Health and Social Care Trust board has been told of “massive concerns” over delays to the £143m Birch Hill mental health facility in Antrim.
Dr Petra Corr, divisional director of mental health, learning disability and community well-being, told board members at a meeting in Antrim Hospital on Thursday morning (August 28th) that the proposed development is unlikely to open before 2030.
“We do not have approval for the release of funding to progress with the next stage,” said Dr Corr.
“The whole project is just awaiting the Department of Health review of capital projects.”
She warned that rising costs for materials and staff pay, along with the risk of redesigns caused by legislative changes, could further impact the project.
Birch Hill Mental Health Centre, a 134-bed development planned for Bush Road, Antrim, is set to replace Holywell Hospital, which was built in 1898 to accommodate 1,000 patients.
The hospital later expanded with the addition of the Tobernaveen wards in the 1950s and the Ross Thomson Unit, an 18-bed acute admission ward, at Causeway Hospital in Coleraine.
Holywell currently provides around 116 acute in-patient beds.
Dr Corr described Holywell Hospital as “no longer fit for purpose” and an “out-of-date environment”.
Planning permission for Birch Hill was granted by Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council in June 2024, with completion originally expected by late 2028.
The new facility is designed to include treatment wards, staff and visitor amenities, management and operational spaces, health and well-being facilities, external landscaping and gardens, as well as car parking and service areas.
Ground-floor en-suite rooms will provide direct access to safe outdoor spaces and enable smooth movement between departments.
The design prioritises natural light, views of the countryside, and access to green spaces to create a therapeutic environment that supports recovery.
Dr Corr also noted that Sinn Féin representatives, including Philip McGuigan MLA, chair of the Executive’s health committee, recently visited Holywell Hospital.
Anne O’Reilly, Trust board chair, emphasised:
“We need to be very vigilant around this.”
She stressed the urgency of a decision to allow forward planning and reiterated the “significance and importance” of the project.
