3. Consideration of available data and research
This section provides an overview of the data and research that was considered in the draft EQIA report.
Demographic make-up of Belfast’s resident population
A breakdown of Belfast’s resident population, drawn from the 2021 Census and 2023 local council elections, is included at appendix 4.
Council policies and strategies
The Belfast Agenda
The Belfast Agenda, Belfast’s first community plan, was published in 2017 and reviewed and revised in 2024. It has five strategic themes:
- Our people and communities
- Our economy
- Our place
- Our planet
- Compassionate city
At its core, the Belfast Agenda has the aim of improving the wellbeing of all Belfast citizens, and it has the potential to promote equality of opportunity and good relations, tackle and address issues of exclusion and marginalisation and have a positive impact on all Section 75 groups.
Intended outcomes include a city that is:
- welcoming, fair, safe and inclusive of all
- vibrant, attractive, connected
- where everyone benefits from a thriving and prosperous economy
- where everyone fulfils their potential.
Investing in tourism infrastructure and city regeneration are identified as foundations for success.
Older people, younger people, addressing the legacy of conflict and division and welcoming and supporting people from new and minoritized ethnic communities are identified as priorities under the Compassionate city theme.
Corporate Plan
Belfast City Council’s draft 2025 to 2028 corporate plan supports the Belfast Agenda and aligns to its strategic themes.
Foundations for success include:
- Equality and diversity whereby the council will continue to promote and uphold equality and diversity, delivering its Race Equality and Diversity action plans and making equality central to its policy and decision-making processes.
- Celebrating language diversity, implementing a Language Strategy Action Plan which will promote, protect and enhance the linguistic diversity which exists within and across the city and the workforce.
- Communications and engagement. The council recognises the importance of communicating with ratepayers and other stakeholders and will continue to innovate in its communication, consultation and engagement.
City Centre Regeneration and Investment Strategy
Published in 2015, the City Centre Regeneration and Investment Strategy recognises that Belfast:
“city centre is one of the most important places in Northern Ireland. [It is] where investment impact can be maximised, where rates are generated and where momentum can be built to support growth in the surrounding neighbourhoods.”
Inner North Belfast (including the North Street and Royal Avenue intersection) is recognised as a special action area which “should be home to Belfast’s growing learning and innovation culture” and considers opportunities for a “creative hub”.
A City Imagining
A City Imagining, Belfast City Council’s cultural strategy for 2020 to 2030, places culture and creativity at the heart of civic development.
There are four themes within the strategy.
- A City Belonging (active participation): Priorities under this theme will support citizens to be active agents of change and co-creators of cultural activity.
- A City Challenging (diversity): Priorities under this theme will aspire to cultivate creative environments for dynamic co-creation and synergy in our placemaking.
- A City Creating (new approaches): Priorities under this theme will facilitate and explore new ways of working, taking more risks and helping artists to have more autonomy to engage with citizens in new and creative ways.
- A City Exploring (our place in the world): Priorities under this theme will sustain, strengthen and develop the city’s cultural ecosystem.
It identifies a major cultural attraction that will be shaped by the stories of local people, attract visitors and connect to the city’s wider cultural offering as a strategic project.
Make Yourself at Home
Belfast City Council’s tourism strategy (2022) places authentic, local stories as key to attracting visitors to the city. It identifies Belfast Stories as a physical home for some of these stories and the flagship investment in product development in the city:
“Belfast Stories is a transformational project designed to capture the unique spirit of Belfast. This major regeneration and tourism anchor will help revitalise our city centre, allowing people to connect with the city and one another through stories, screens and social spaces.”
It details how the physical building and its contents will be supported by wider programmes of storytelling and development.
Equality scheme
The council’s revised Equality Scheme (approved in 2021) sets out Belfast City Council’s arrangements for complying with the equality duties under Section 75 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998. It includes a commitment to provide information in alternative formats on request were reasonably practicable. The scheme states that alternative formats may include Easy Read, Braille, audio formats (CD, mp3 or DAISY), large print or minority languages to meet the needs of those for whom English is not their first language.
Good Relations Strategy
Under Section 75 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998, all public bodies, including Belfast City Council must have regard to the desirability of promoting good relations between persons of different religious beliefs, political opinion or racial group.
The council’s Good Relations Strategy was adopted in 2019. It states that it “aims to promote sharing over separation and the economic, social and environmental benefits of such. We need to continue to create spaces for communities to interact and make connections with each other, moving from parallel living to meaningful relationships and casual interactions”.
It also sets down the five outcomes it seeks to achieve.
- Outcome one: Strong, positive and transformative civic leadership – inclusive governance with community changemakers.
- Outcome two: Shared and connected spaces – a smart, connected city driven by inclusive and transformative place making.
- Outcome three: Shared services – focusing on co-design and social innovation.
- Outcome four: Structured collaboration and partnerships.
- Outcome five: An intercultural city and respectful cultural expression within the rule of law.
Language Strategy
Belfast City Council’s 2018 Language Strategy aspires to create a place where linguistic diversity is celebrated and respected. It has two key purposes.
- To protect and promote awareness of our indigenous languages of Irish and Ulster-Scots.
- To promote access to, inclusion of and awareness of other languages including sign languages, the languages of new communities who live in Belfast and languages and communication for disabled people.
Draft Irish language Strategy
Belfast City Council is currently consulting on its draft Irish Language Strategy, a “natural outworking” of the Language Strategy, which aims to promote, protect and enhance the use of the Irish language in accordance with guiding principles including:
- Changing the perspective on languages in our city to increase the profile of different languages along with awareness and understanding of associated cultures, heritage and traditions.
- Engaging with language communities to increase equal opportunities and to enhance and protect good relations within the city.
- Working in partnerships with others to promote linguistic diversity across the city to move towards our shared vision of inclusive growth, where no-one is left behind.
It includes provision for dual language signage and communications.
The draft EQIA of the strategy is also open for consultation. It finds that the draft strategy
“sits very comfortably alongside local, national and international minority language obligations, charters and guidance” and that “positive impacts […] will be embraced by one section of the community”.
However, there is also evidence that it has the potential to cause contention, particularly predominantly among Protestant, Unionist and Loyalist communities. In relation to equality of opportunity, this includes the potential to create a “chill factor” for those from particular communities wishing to access facilities and services with bilingual signage. In respect of good relations, it may also raise concerns with regard to the promotion of a good and harmonious environment across the city, with those from a Protestant, Unionist or Loyalist community background more likely to perceive the possibility of an adverse impact.
The draft EQIA concludes that:
“elements of the draft Policy may be perceived to have the potential for an adverse impact, but the extent of that impact is yet to be fully determined, and the consultation phase of the EQIA should be informative in this regard.”
Draft Changing Places Policy
Changing Places are specialised toilet facilities that are accessible and inclusive for everyone, particularly those with complex needs or mobility issues.
Belfast City Council consulted on its draft Changing Places Policy at the start of 2024. It sets out the council’s approach and commitment to providing Changing Places toilet facilities in public places within council facilities and across the council area. This includes the provision of Changing Places in new council buildings with a capacity of over 350 people and at large-scale public events. It will also consider provision in refurbished buildings, playgrounds and smaller public events.
Consultation and Engagement Framework
Belfast City Council’s Consultation and Engagement Framework describes a broad spectrum of two-way communication (from consultation to engagement to involvement) between the council and its residents and stakeholders. It recognises that effective dialogue helps make decisions, policies and services that are better suited to the people they are intended to benefit.
Belfast Stories strategies and research
Equality Framework
Belfast Stories Equality Framework was developed in 2021. It recognises that the project’s vision cannot be achieved unless equality, diversity and inclusion are placed at its core and supported by co-design and an inclusive process throughout all stages of development.
It recommends that engagement be:
“an ongoing cumulative process, enabling relationships, building trust and strengthening links over time […] Residents, voluntary and community groups, specialists and concerned or interested individuals, may want to participate at a range of levels – from providing advice to co-designing the process, undertaking some aspects of the engagement to delivering projects to meet some of the outcomes.”
It also recommends that equality screening and impact assessments should be carried out at different stages and on different elements of the project including the overall concept and story collection concept.
At this stage, it recommends that the purpose of consultation should be to:
- Gathering peoples’ views around the concept and its key components
- Identifying any barriers for specific groups/citizens in relation to proposal
- Identifying clear issues for mitigation of any barriers
- Raising awareness of Belfast Stories and the council’s commitment to inclusive and co-design principles with citizens and key stakeholders
Belfast Stories Equality Screening
Belfast City Council’s equality screening of the Belfast Stories outline business case found that:
“There is nothing inherent in the principles underpinning the concept of the Belfast Stories to indicate an adverse impact on one or more of the Section 75 groups. Instead, the concept will follow inclusivity principles for all residents and visitors […] will bring about advantages to Belfast citizens irrespective of their identity.”
However, it continues “The Belfast Stories aspects of this project needs to ensure equal representation of residents and visitors of different [identities]”.
As a result, it recommends that an EQIA should be carried out, potentially at key milestones such as concept, design and content stages.
Findings from consultation to date
Engagement around the concept of Belfast Stories has been ongoing since 2014 when the need for a new major visitor attraction in the city was identified. It has subsequently been formally consulted on during public consultations on the council’s Belfast Agenda, Belfast City Centre Regeneration and Investment, A City Imagining and Make Yourself at Home strategiesFootnote three.
The concept Belfast Stories was broadly welcomed in these consultations. Findings relevant to the draft EQIA included:
- Cost may be a barrier, particularly to families and younger people
- Transportation can be a barrier, particularly for older people
- Need to follow inclusive design principles
- Equality considerations should “go beyond” the statutory requirements
RIBA Stage 1 public consultation
The 14-week public consultation focused on gathering ideas and evidence to help shape the design brief to make sure that the building is welcoming and accessible and everyone can see themselves reflected in its stories.
An online consultation hub was created on Belfast City Council’s Your Say platform. It included the consultation document in a range of formats and a survey inviting feedback on the Belfast Stories proposal and draft EQIA. The council’s Equality Scheme consultees (appendix 1) were invited to comment. Leaflets, information, display boards and pop-up exhibitions were distributed across the city and a series of meetings, workshops and events were held. Overall, over 4,000 people engaged in the consultation.
Organisations that engaged with the public consultation are listed at appendix 5.
Relevant findings from this consultation are included at appendix 6.
RIBA Stage 1 EQIA
During the RIBA 1 public consultation period, the draft EQIA report was available on Belfast City Council’s Your Say consultation website. It was accompanied by a survey inviting feedback, and the council’s Equality Scheme consultees were notified and invited to comment.
Responses to the RIBA stage 1 EQIA are included at appendix 7.
Following the public consultation, the EQIA final decision report drew the following conclusions and recommendations.
Support for the Belfast Stories concept
During the public consultation, the engagement plan ensured that Belfast City Council gathered feedback across a broad range of equality groups, and there were exceptionally high levels of support including across all Section 75 equality categories. Many consultees also reflected on the potential positive impact on equality of opportunity and good relations.
Nevertheless, there were concerns that Belfast Stories could present a partisan, binary or narrow perspective of Belfast that would exclude the stories or identities of particular groups. The council should continue to embed equality, diversity and inclusion in the development of Belfast Stories, ensuring that early potential for positive impact can be realised throughout the project design, delivery and implementation.
Ongoing engagement
During the public consultation, consultees offered further insight in relation to groups of people at risk of missing out and tactics to mitigate potential differential impact.
Ongoing engagement should continue to focus on those most at risk of missing out, and the engagement plan and stakeholder mapping should be reviewed and revised in light of lessons learned and additional evidence uncovered during the public consultation.
Story collection
This should focus on action learning by testing processes and tools with groups that are less likely to share stories (because of their culture, identity or circumstance), in particular older people and the very elderly whose stories are otherwise at risk of being lost.
Irish and Ulster Scots
The Belfast Stories concept was broadly welcomed by the Irish language community as an opportunity to explore and celebrate the history of the language and the city’s Irish language community. This may in turn enhance good relations by affording respect and recognition to a native minority language in keeping with local and international policy and best practice.
Belfast City Council should continue to consult closely with Irish language and Ulster Scots stakeholders, including in relation to the development of the building, story collection, exhibition and overall experience. Resulting language policy or practice should be subject to an equality screening and (if required) a full equality impact assessment.
Pre-consultation (August 2021 to August 2022)
Between August 2021 and August 2022, over 160 meetings and presentations took place with organisations and groups across the city including older people, youth, disability and women’s interest groups and geographic community groups. A list of groups engaged in included at appendix 3. Findings relevant to this EQIA include:
- Need to follow inclusive design principles
- Importance of co-design
- Equality considerations should “go beyond” the statutory requirements
- Need to include the stories of people who come to work in Belfast from minoritized ethnic groups
- Transportation can be a barrier, particularly for older people
- Ticket price can be a barrier, particularly for younger people. Open and public spaces should be free of charge.
Other relevant research
Engagement with culture among equality groups
Belfast Stories will use expressions of culture to attract visitors. Stories can relate to heritage as well as about the present and the future. They can be drawn from existing archives, libraries, museums and other collections. They may be expressed through film, literature, visual arts, sound, digital technology and other creative mediums.
Appendix 8 considers the extent to which different people and groups across the different equality categories may engage with culture.
Footnotes
Footnote three: Not yet named, Belfast Stories is variously referred to as a destination or creative hub in these documents.
