Accelerating City Centre Living

Accelerating City Centre Living

A key aim of the Belfast City Centre Regeneration and Investment Strategy is to increase the city centre’s residential population.

The Belfast Agenda sets out a vision for a city re-imagined and resurgent, home to an additional 66,000 residents and 31,600 homes. Investment in quality homes, placemaking, connectivity and social infrastructure lies at the heart of this vision.

We are focused on accelerating city centre living and bringing forward significant residential opportunities across all housing tenures, notably in the city centre.

Increasing the number of people living within the city centre will help create a vibrant, functioning city centre and support local retail, hospitality and entertainment.

Successfully delivering city centre living needs an attractive and secure environment, with shopping, open space and other amenities for residents. Improving the public realm, food and entertainment offerings and connectivity is as important as securing appropriate development sites to bring forward housing-led regeneration.

Strategic site assembly

We’re bringing forward an ambitious programme to accelerate city centre living through the strategic assessment of public sector land assets and adjoining private sector lands.

Strategic Site Assessments identified under-utilised prime city centre land with the capacity and potential to deliver over 1,400 city centre homes. We’re working with the Department for Communities, Northern Ireland Housing Executive, housing associations and the private sector to bring forward proposals for a blend of coherent and inclusive mixed-use developments.

These sites also have the potential to provide around 45,000 ft² of commercial space. Aligned to our Inclusive Growth Strategy this can:

• facilitate cultural offerings
• develop community infrastructure
• facilitate traditional commercial amenities including independent traders
• improve connectivity
• provide open and green spaces.

Phase 1 – is bringing forward a housing-led regeneration Development Brief for the Inner North West Northern Cluster.

Phase 2 - involves strategically assessing the wider public sector asset and land base and bringing forward development propositions, mainly for housing-led regeneration schemes.

We’re also engaging with public and private sector to overcome obstacles to developing city centre living.