Housing delivery and water capacity in focus as Liz Kimmins MLA, Minister for Infrastructure discusses next steps at BEYOND ’26 LIVE Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland’s house-building sector is gearing up to address its most urgent challenges at the National House Building Council’s (NHBC) BEYOND ’26 LIVE Northern Ireland, as industry figures come together to discuss progress, barriers and practical solutions to unlocking housing delivery.

Hosted by award-winning business journalist Jamie Delargy, BEYOND ’26 LIVE Northern Ireland takes place on Wednesday 4 March 2026 at the Glenavon House Hotel in Cookstown, County Tyrone. The event comes at a time when long-standing constraints, particularly wastewater and wider infrastructure capacity, continue to restrict development and the supply of new homes. These constraints are contributing to stalled sites and slowing the delivery of homes needed to meet local demand across Northern Ireland.

Liz Kimmins MLA, Minister for Infrastructure, has already set out the next steps her department is taking to address these challenges. These include working with Executive colleagues to increase wastewater investment, exploring options for developer contributions, and progressing the Water, Flooding and Sustainable Drainage Bill.

Speaking ahead of the event, Liz Kimmins MLA, Minister for Infrastructure, said: “There are no quick fixes to the infrastructure challenges facing the north, particularly when it comes to wastewater capacity. Continued engagement with the house-building sector is essential to understanding delivery challenges, tracking progress and identifying practical next steps.”

The Department for Infrastructure Minister’s session at BEYOND ’26 LIVE Northern Ireland will discuss the issues facing the sector, provide an update on progress, and explore next steps with industry leaders.

BEYOND ’26 LIVE Northern Ireland will also address the ongoing issue of unadopted infrastructure in housing developments, a problem that has persisted for many years.

Padraig Venney, Director for Northern Ireland at NHBC, said: “The lack of wastewater and wider infrastructure capacity remains one of the biggest barriers to getting homes built in Northern Ireland. BEYOND ’26 LIVE provides an opportunity to bring policymakers and the industry together to examine progress, share insight and focus on practical solutions. With content spanning housing supply strategy, infrastructure challenges and technical insight into construction quality, particularly in roofs and timber frame, the event offers something for everyone involved and interested in the house-building industry.”

Rosemary Daly, Chief Planner and Director of Regional Planning Governance and Legislation at the Department for Infrastructure, will outline how the Planning Improvement Programme is being used to remove blockages in the planning system and help unlock stalled housing delivery. She will provide an update on progress and next steps, including action to address operational backlogs, strengthen planning workforce capacity, and deliver the legislative and system reforms needed to support a faster, more resilient and sustainable planning system.

“While the planning system faces challenges, from delays and inefficiencies to workforce capacity and funding constraints, we are leveraging these as opportunities to identify underlying issues and drive meaningful improvement. Ongoing collaboration with the industry is vital to understanding operational challenges and uncovering the root causes of system‑wide issues which are affecting housing delivery.  This helps ensure that the targeted programme of measures and initiatives is focused and continues to deliver practical and visible planning improvements which support more consistent, streamlined, and effective decision‑making, resulting in better outcomes the house-building sector,” Rosemary Daly said.

BEYOND ’26 LIVE will also include an exclusive tour of the Keystone Group’s manufacturing hub, one of the UK and Ireland’s largest construction product manufacturers. Delegates will see the latest construction product innovation and manufacturing technologies, followed by expert-led sessions examining:

• Northern Ireland’s housing market and meeting long-term Housing Supply Strategy targets.
• Improving quality and defect prevention in timber frame construction
• Reducing customer complaints and claims through better build quality
• A live “Roofs right first time” demonstration based on inspection and claims data
• Water scarcity and resilience, drawing on international best practice
• Discussions on the future of the Northern Ireland housing market

Early bird tickets are available for a limited time. For more information and to register, visit www.nhbc.co.uk/beyondni.