Accelerating City Centre Living

Expressions of interest

Increasing the city’s population is a key ambition in The Belfast Agenda, the city’s community plan.

We’re seeking to establish a long-term Private Sector Partner (PSP) arrangement with an investor or developer to bring forward sustainable, residential-led regeneration with placemaking, people and connectivity at its heart. Our PSP will undertake to fund, develop, and where appropriate, own and manage assets as part of comprehensive regeneration schemes.

We have initially earmarked four key city centre sites for development, with the potential to identify further sites across the city in due course.

The PSP will have the financial means and relevant experience, skills and resources to make a significant contribution to achieving the vision for Belfast through participation in a public-private development partnership with us. The PSP could be a single organisation, or group of organisations, that brings together the necessary funding and expertise to deliver our scale of vision.

The successful PSP will be able to demonstrate long term partnership working approaches and exhibit strong social value credentials, as well as:

• long-term public-private partnership working approaches and regeneration delivery in collaboration with local authorities / public sector on major regeneration projects, a commitment to partnership and communication at all levels of the partnership through all phases of the project over the long-term.
• strong social value credentials, demonstrating innovation and a commitment to delivering tangible and lasting positive social, economic and environmental impact(s) for neighbouring communities and the wider city area.
• a high-quality, experienced team with exemplary and transferable skills, which are considered capable of delivering the project via a series of site-specific priority areas, strategic goals and objectives.
• experience of delivering major residential-led regeneration schemes.
• financial capacity and a credible, deliverable approach to funding the project.

The partnership will assist in delivering our regeneration objectives of:

• placemaking
• connectivity
• quality design
• innovation
• sustainability
• engagement

We’re currently inviting expressions of interest.

To receive a copy of the brochure and register your interest please email belfasti@belfastcity.gov.uk, providing a contact name, company name and registered address, telephone number and email address. 

You can also find further information at visit ESourcing NI (link opens in new window)

We will be accepting expressions of interest until 12 noon on 31 May 2023.

Accelerating City Centre Living

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

The Belfast Agenda sets out targets for a city re-imagined and resurgent with an additional 66,000 residents and 30,000 homes. 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 while contributing to the general level of activity.

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.

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 sq ft 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 - will bring forward a housing-led regeneration Development Brief for the Inner North West Northern Cluster.

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

We’re engaging with public and private sector around overcoming obstacles to development of city centre living.