Under his Lesley Residential business, the fast food franchisee is building 35 family homes and 16 large apartments in Stormont and a further eight properties off Malone Road as well as six detached properties on the Hawthornden Road in Ballyhackamore - a total of 65.

The businessman, well known for his office complexes named after his wife Lesley, told Business Telegraph that he is expanding his residential developments due to higher demand.

"We have always worked on residential projects alongside commercial developments - even during the property market downturn," he said.

"Heightened demand for housing in the Belfast area has led us to begin construction on numerous sites and in the case of Lesley Park Royal complete it in one phase as demand is exceptional."

Mr Herbert's latest three projects include Lesley Grange in Hawthornden Road, Lesley Park Royal facing Stormont and Lesley Demesne in Dub Lane, south Belfast. All three will be released next week through the agent Templeton Robinson.

Lesley Residential will complete all builds in one go.

Lesley Park Royal - the larger of the three schemes - had originally been planned as a phased project.

Mr Herbert explained: "The work put in by our dedicated research team allows us to identify and meet our customer needs, all whilst simultaneously raising the bar in terms of quality and value for money.

"Unlike other developers, we include many extras at no extra cost, which might explain why every development we have completed has been sold out.

"With my wife Lesley undertaking the interior design of our show houses, and daughter Alexandra contributing towards the external aspects of our developments, Lesley Residential is very much a family-run business.

"The Lesley brand name symbolises excellence and any development to which it is attached can be guaranteed to be of unrivalled quality."

Neil Templeton, of Templeton Robinson, described Lesley Park Royal as "the best housing site in Belfast".

The release of the properties comes after Mr Herbert submitted plans to convert two Belfast office blocks into apartments.

The "city centre living schemes" include 21 Fountain Street and Lesley Place on Ann Street under Kirk Bryson and Co Ltd, which counts Mr Herbert as a director.

Mr Herbert said: "Since the end of the Troubles people want to live back in the city where there's activity and nightlife. There is demand for it."

Credit : Belfast Telegraph