Village schemes in Northern Ireland. Along with Merville, these were at Abbots Cross, Fernagh, Prince's Park, King's Park, Muckamore, and Whitehead, all in County Antrim. The Merville original designs consisted of 256 apartments, 28 cottage flats, 146 terraced and semi-detached houses, and a row of 14 shops. The building work was completed in 1949. The design of Merville was widely praised: Stanley Gale noted in 1949: “In the Merville Estate in Belfast, the designer Mr E Prentice Mawson has produced an outstanding example that should set a new standard in both layout and in the grouping and design of the units.” The estate was endowed with shops and a community centre (having classes in drama, singing, music and other activities). There was also a small theatre, and landscaped gardens included the original walled garden of Merville House, as well as various landscape features such as field boundary fragments. Merville Garden Village was designated a conservation area in 1995. The original intention to form a strong sense of home and community became a deep psychological seed within the minds of those who lived there. By 1975 The Merville Garden Village Residents Association was formally constituted, having 249 subscribing households, and is considered one of the oldest resident associations in Northern Ireland today. Conservation Area designation Merville Garden Village was designated a conservation area on 23 June 1995 because of its unique architecture and landscape and is the only neighbourhood in the borough of Newtownabbey to have this protection. Merville House restoration In April 2000 Patricia Pepper, Jackie Thompson and Brian McNally began the restoration of Merville House when they met Belfast Regeneration Office officials, amongst others. The meeting with potential funders was initiated by local North Belfast MLA Fred Cobain after a chance meeting with MRA committee member Barbara McPhee. However, Stephen Hamilton, another Merville resident, joined the committee and formally set up Merville House Limited in February 2002 to help garner funding for the project. Other key players in the Merville House team included the late Jacqui Thompson, and Carol Magill and Colin Simms who assisted with grant applications. Carol Magill was Chair of Merville House and with her husband Colin and Patricia presented and secured the £1.2m funds for the restoration. The scheme was ultimately funded by Ulster Garden Villages Limited, International Fund for Ireland, Newtownabbey Borough Council, Newtownabbey Local Strategy Partnership and Belfast Local Strategy Partnership and a