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A housing association has been appointed to redevelop a contentious bonfire site in north Belfast.

The disused Adam Street site, off Duncairn Gardens, is near an interface between the Tiger's Bay and New Lodge areas.

An annual bonfire built on the land has been a focus of political and community tensions in recent years.

The land is to be used for social housing, Stormont's Department for Communities has said.

Apex Housing Association has been appointed by the Northern Ireland Housing Executive (NIHE) for the "residential-led regeneration scheme".

"A design team will now work with Apex to gather the views of local residents and stakeholders to meet the needs of the community," the Stormont department said.

It follows a public consultation published in March last year on ways to use the site, which is jointly owned by the department and Invest NI.

Hundreds of bonfires are lit annually in unionist communities across Northern Ireland to usher in the Twelfth of July, the main date in the parade season.

In 2021, nationalist politicians called for the Adam Street bonfire to be removed, saying that residents in the neighbouring New Lodge had felt "under attack".

Unionist politicians argued the bonfire was an expression of culture and accused nationalist leaders of raising tensions.

A High Court bid by two Northern Ireland Executive ministers to compel police to help remove the bonfire failed after officers warned it would risk disorder.

A judge later cast doubt on bonfires continuing at the site in the absence of future agreement.

Wooden hoardings have been erected at Adam Street in recent weeks.

The Department for Communities said the site boundary had been "reconfigured and moved back" in order to "create a more comprehensive area of land for redevelopment".