A leading property development firm has purchased what is claimed to be Northern Ireland’s largest residential development site.

Neptune Group bought the 165-acre site, which is on the outskirts of Ballyclare, County Antrim, for an undisclosed sum.

The London-based firm said it already has outline planning permission for 1,800 new homes and is looking to start work early next year.

Patrick Heffron, Director at Neptune Group, said the site will allow it to create an exciting residential district close to amenities of a provincial town, but only 15 minutes from Belfast.

“The economic impact of this development cannot be underestimated,” said Patrick.

“Not only will the Ballyclare business community benefit, but also outlying towns such as Antrim and Ballymena.”

Creighton Boyd, Director at Neptune Group, said there was a strong market for new build homes in the Greater Belfast area.

“We witnessed incredible demand for Phase 1 of our development at Belvoir Park in Belfast which sold out almost immediately,” said Creighton.

“We would hope by implementing the Neptune design and development process, demand in Ballyclare will follow in a similar vein.”