2. Policy context
Regional policy
Regional Development Strategy (RDS) 2035
The RDS provides regional guidance under the three sustainable development themes of economy, society and environment in relation to design issues. Policy RG7 supports urban and rural renaissance by recognising the unique qualities of our cities, towns and villages to attract investment and activity ensuring quality urban areas are improved, maintained and enhanced with adequate provision of green infrastructure and the design and management of public realm.
Strategic Planning Policy Statement (SPPS) for Northern Ireland (2015)
The SPPS outlines that good design can change lives, communities and neighbourhoods for the better. It also outlines that new buildings and their surroundings have a significant effect on the character and quality of a place, defining public spaces, streets and vistas and creating the context for future development. Emphasis is placed on placemaking as a people-centred approach to the planning, design and stewardship of new developments and public spaces. It states that the key to successful placemaking
is identifying the assets of a particular place as well as developing a vision for its future potential including:
- the relationship between different buildings, between buildings and spaces
- the nature and quality of the public domain,
- the relationship of one part of a village, town or city with other parts, and
- the patterns of movement and activity.
The SPPS states that poor design should be rejected, particularly proposals that are inappropriate to their context, including schemes that are clearly out of scale, or incompatible with their surroundings.
Sustainable Development Strategy 2010
The Northern Ireland Executive’s ‘Everyone’s Involved - Sustainable Development Strategy,’ (May 2010) puts in place economic, social and environmental measures to ensure that Northern Ireland can continue to grow its economy, improve society and communities and utilise natural resources in an environmentally sustainable way. The strategy is supported by a series of guiding principles that strengthen the regional framework to address global issues such as climate change.
Local policy
Local Development Plan
The Local Development Plan (LDP) Plan Strategy provides the strategic policy framework across a range of thematic areas. It sets out a vision for Belfast as well as the objectives and strategic policies required to deliver that vision, based on a suite of topic-based operational policies. As an integral stage of the LDP, the Local Policies Plan (LPP) sets out site-specific proposals for the development and use of land, including site-specific proposals, designations and land use zonings.
Policy CC1 - Development Opportunity Sites
LDP Policy CC1 - Development opportunity sites enables the council to target a series of Development Opportunity Areas (DOAs) across the city centre which are sizeable enough to provide opportunities for mixed use development including the provision of new city centre homes, job creation, commercial investment and public realm interventions.
The council will support mixed use development within the development opportunities areas that is consistent with these principles:
a. New developments shall be directed towards sites within the development opportunities areas of:
- Greater Clarendon, City Quays, and Sailortown;
- Inner North West:
- North East Quarter;
- Oxford Street and East Bank; and
- Transport Hub and South Centre Linen Quarter.
b. Masterplans, urban design and landscaped frameworks, and developers' briefs, shall be prepared, and these shall be agreed by the council's Planning Service;
c. Masterplans, urban design and landscaped frameworks, and developers' briefs, shall be required to demonstrate a comprehensive approach to the planning and regeneration of the development opportunity area, and shall be consistent with the LDP objectives and policies;
d. Development proposals shall be required to deliver the identified land uses, the design principles for quality buildings and the public realm for sites in the development opportunity area's masterplan agreed by the council's Planning Service prior to planning applications being submitted for individual sites; and
e. Developers shall support the delivery of new infrastructure required for the regeneration of the development opportunity areas. This will be secured through teh use of planning conditions and section 76 agreements.
Strategic and Spatial Development Strategy Policies
The strategic approach as set out in the LDP provides a series of overarching plan policies that embodies the broad principles upon which the plan is built. These overarching strategic policies are used as a guide to assist developers to deliver development proposals that are in line with the strategic objectives of the city.
Spatial development strategy sets out how the council will manage the spatial growth for the plan area, which includes the hierarchy of settlements across the district, as well as the way the principal settlement of Belfast City will be identified into distinct settlement areas. It also reflects the unique role the city centre plays and also the roles of other areas across the city should play in helping achieve the plan’s strategic aims.
Topic-based operational policies
Topic-based operational policies help us deal with the land use challenges which affect the city. These policies form the basis for making decisions on day-to-day planning applications, and unless otherwise stated, all criteria used in each policy will apply to relevant proposals and should be considered holistically. Each application will involve its own circumstances and context and should be treated on its own merits.
Local policies
As a final tier, local policies have been formulated for respective Development Opportunity Areas. These policies aim to meet the needs, aspirations and vision that are bespoke to each area and are place specific. While tailored to place, these policies should not be viewed in isolation but be considered in the round firstly alongside the full range of topic-based operational policies as well as at the higher level strategic and spatial policy level.
Supporting strategies
The Belfast Agenda
The first Community Plan, the Belfast Agenda, was created by a partnership of key city partners, residents and community organisations and sets out a joint vision and long-term ambitions for Belfast’s future, as well as outlining priorities for action over the next four years. The LDP is recognised by the Belfast Agenda as a key tool in shaping the physical future of the city in a sustainable way – including housing, roads and other infrastructure as well as helping to build the city’s position as a magnet for Foreign Direct Investment (FDI).
The Belfast City Centre Regeneration and Investment Strategy
The Belfast City Centre Regeneration and Investment Strategy (BCCRIS) outlines how we aim to grow and regenerate the city core and its surrounding areas to 2030. It recognises that a thriving city centre is vital to the prosperity of the whole city and the region as around two-thirds of all jobs in Belfast are located in and around the city centre. Policies provide a vision for areas of intervention considered most essential to Belfast’s success and include increasing the residential and employment population, managing the retail offer, harnessing tourism potential and creating a green, walkable centre.
A Bolder Vision
A Bolder Vision is an ambitious blueprint to explore a shared approach to creating a more attractive, accessible, safe and vibrant city. It focusses on several key moves where the council believe we have an opportunity to intervene to transform critical parts of the city to create a green, people focussed, connected city centre for current and future users. These include the creation of a north-south civic spine to provide safe and accessible movement through the city centre, the re-imagining of the Inner Ring Road to reduce physical severance, the promotion of city centre living and embracing the River Lagan and Waterfront.
