The Belfast Agenda Statement of Progress 2023-2025

Creating a liveable and connected, vibrant and competitive city

• Since 2020-2021 (baseline year), a total of 2,657 homes have been completed in Belfast with 586 completed in 2023-24 [Source: Belfast Housing Monitor].
• 854 new social homes were started over the reporting period until March 2025, exceeding the annual target of 400; 737 social homes were completed.
• Public sector strategic assessment of Belfast city council, Housing Executive and DfC lands has been completed with initial opportunities for collaborative placemaking projects at agreed sites.
• Construction is underway on the landmark Dargan House scheme at Loftlines, the first major build-to-rent led development of its kind in Northern Ireland, delivering 778 homes, including 151 affordable housing units.
• Belfast Grand Central Station opened to the public for train and bus services in September 2024.
• Translink are now operating an hourly cross-border Enterprise service with a 40 per cent increase in cross-border rail travel compared to 2023.
• As part of the Leading the Way project delivered by Sustrans and funded by Translink, DfI and the Public Health Agency, Belfast Active Travel Challenge programme ran in 2024 and 2025, encouraging people to try walking, wheeling or public transport as a cleaner, healthier option for their everyday journeys.
• Sustrans continue to deliver the Active School Travel programme with 25 schools in Belfast now engaged in the programme.
• The city centre saw an increase in footfall of 182,221 (33 per cent) from baseline of 553,939 (2021).
• Council invested £1 million in the city centre Vacant to Vibrant scheme, supporting 48 capital projects.
• Belfast made a successful bid to host the Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann in 2026.

City development 

Housing-led Regeneration

Addressing housing pressures remains a priority for the city and supports our ambition to grow the population. Since November 2023, progress has been made across a range of areas, both at a strategic and delivery level.

In December 2024, the NI Executive published a 15-year Housing Supply Strategy (2024-39).  Developed by the Department for Communities (DfC), it focuses on delivering the right homes in suitable locations to meet future and current needs, ensuring everyone has access to good quality, affordable and sustainable housing in inclusive communities. 

Guided by the Local Development Plan, Housing-Led Regeneration Group partners, including the Housing Executive, DfC and City Council, continue to work together to remove development barriers and increase supply across all types of housing (social, intermediate, owner-occupied and private rental).

Social housing is delivered in a tri-partite arrangement between DfC, the Housing Executive and participating Housing Associations, with grant funding from DfC. This model continues to underpin delivery across Belfast, supporting new build and rehabilitation of existing properties.

Delivery highlights and progress

• Public sector strategic site assessment of Council, Housing Executive and DfC lands has been completed by the Housing-Led Regeneration group to identify opportunities for mixed tenure housing on public sector lands. Initial opportunities for collaborative placemaking projects have been identified at agreed at sites. This work has been supported by detailed feasibility studies to inform inclusive, sustainable development and act as catalysts for wider regeneration.
• Partners have exceeded their target to deliver a minimum of two placemaking projects; Additional potential pilots are now being developed across multiple locations, with further opportunities expected to emerge from a growing pipeline of public sector land.
• As part of the ongoing LDP Local Policies Plan, a ‘Call for Sites’ consultation exercise was undertaken between December 2023 to March 2024 to provide an early opportunity for individuals, landowners and developers to suggest sites within the Council area for new development up to 2035.
• A Place-Based Growth Proposition is being strategically presented to both the UK Government in Westminster and the NI Executive advocating for parity in regeneration funding and powers for Belfast in line with other UK cities.
• £63.5 million investment in Housing Executive homes is supporting essential upgrades, modernisation and energy efficiency improvements across the existing stock, helping to enhance living standards and extend the lifespan of vital social housing assets.
• Over £187 million of investment in social housing new build.
• 745 social homes retrofitted by the Housing Executive, saving on heating bills, reducing carbon and creating a healthier living environment.
• Affordable warmth installations into 983 properties have helped improve energy efficiency, reduce fuel poverty and enhance comfort for households across the city.
• Ongoing delivery of the Housing Executive’s Ending Homelessness Together Strategy and Social Housing Development Plan.
• Partners continue to work together to overcome systemic barriers to residential development in Belfast to unlock sites, accelerate delivery, and maximise collaborative gain in creating inclusive and sustainable communities.

Delivery highlights and progress

• Council has appointed GRAHAM as its private sector partner to deliver a £630 million residential-led programme across the city. The initial phase focuses on four housing-led regeneration catalyst sites on council owned land in the city centre with a development value of around £280 million.
• The Housing Executive have established Belfast’s first City Centre waiting list for new build social housing to identify the specific needs and preferences of the growing city centre population demonstrating a strong need across all household types.
• Council and the Department for Communities have appointed Clanmil Housing to deliver a mixed-use, residential-focused development in Belfast’s inner northwest; situated on jointly held land, the project aims to boost city centre living, rejuvenate the area and strengthen connections with surrounding communities.
• In addition, council-owned assets have been utilised to support a development scheme at the Gasworks site which will be constructed by Radius Housing Association. The project aims to deliver a mixed-tenure residential scheme of 94 homes that promotes city centre living, enhances local connectivity and contributes to the ongoing regeneration of the area.
• Council is exploring a Homes on Upper Space for Everyone (H.O.U.S.E) programme to repurpose upper floor spaces in the city centre for residential living.
• The ambition for a shared and inclusive community is recognised through commitments from the Housing for All Programme for Dargan House at Loft Lines which will see homes allocated in late 2025.

The Northern Ireland Federation of Housing Associations notes a high volume of on-site and programmed units in Belfast suggesting readiness for scale and delivery. Overall, significant progress has been made despite a challenging funding landscape. 

Partners remain committed to delivering innovative solutions that address housing needs, ensuring inclusive and equitable outcomes citywide.

Investing in critical city infrastructure 

Connectivity, Active and Sustainable Travel

To thrive, cities must have transportation systems which allow the maximum volume of people to travel whilst doing the least possible harm to the environment, with active and sustainable choices bringing health benefits to all. Since November 2023, significant progress has been made on strategic initiatives, projects and programmes that support and encourage people to make more sustainable and active travel choices

Eastern Transport Plan

The Department for Infrastructure is continuing to progress the Eastern Transport Plan in an integrated manner with the Local Development Plan and other stakeholders.

Grand Central Station

Grand Central Station opened its doors to passengers in September 2024, offering seamless connections between bus, coach, rail, and active travel. This regional hub is the largest on the island of Ireland with the capacity for up to 20 million journeys per year. With eight rail platforms and twenty-six bus stands, it enhances opportunities for people to live, work and visit in Belfast and the wider region. The new station has welcomed over 8 million people. This success has contributed to more than 4 million additional journeys across the wider public transport network since opening, reflecting a significant modal shift. Achieving 96 per cent user satisfaction rating, indicating strong public approval and driving increase in patronage compared to 2023, mostly notably a 40 per cent increase in cross border rail travel. 

York Street Train Station

Opened in April 2024, this station provides modern, accessible facilities to support North Belfast regeneration and provides connectivity to the Ulster University and Cathedral Quarter.

Public Transport

In February 2025 the Minister announced the next steps for the Belfast Rapid Transit (BRT2) project, which will see the Glider service extended to north and south Belfast. Translink continue to work to enhance public transport journey times and reliability. In financial year 2024-25 Metro and Glider passengers have increased by 4 per cent year on year carrying 30 million passengers.

Translink Future Ticketing System

Contactless “tap and go” payments are now available across all Translink services, boosting usage by simplifying fares, removing barriers to travel and providing passengers with best value fares through daily capping. Next steps include installing ticket vending machines across the city centre and introducing account-based ticketing (ABT) where users tap on and off with cards or smartcards for automatic daily fare calculation and capping.

Low and Zero Emission Fleet

With around half of the Metro fleet now operating as zero emission and the remainder comprising low emission vehicles, the transition to a cleaner, greener transport network is well underway. The new buses offer high-spec e-leather seating, USB charging ports, free Wi-Fi, and dedicated wheelchair spaces—delivering comfort, accessibility, and sustainability helping to create a cleaner, better connected, healthier city for all.

Better On Board

Translink launched its Better On-Board Charter in November 2024 as part of a movement to encourage modal shift to buses, trains and active travel, reducing congestions, improving air quality and creating a more sustainable future for everyone.  To date, 16 anchor organisations representing over 100,000 people have signed up across Belfast and Derry-Londonderry where the need is most urgent to tackle traffic congestion. Better on Board has recently aligned with the Belfast Business Promise as part of Pledge 3, Protecting Our Environment.

Walking, Wheeling and Cycling

Belfast Healthy Cities piloted a Key Stage 2 Teaching Resource called “Healthy Transport” which educates students on topics such as air pollution and active travel, and links in with the Northern Ireland Primary School Curriculum. The resource includes a 5-step toolkit, templates and worksheets to allow students to be directly involved in the design and delivery of a “Walking Bus” – a supervised group of children walking to school with designated ‘stops.’  Walking buses are a safe, social and environmentally sustainable way for children to travel, promoting exercise and road safety awareness. 

The Healthy Transport Teaching Resource and Walking Bus Toolkit will be made available to all primary schools in Northern Ireland starting in the upcoming 2025-2026 school year.

Delivery highlights and progress

• Expanded the number of Belfast Bikes to 400 available at 60 docking stations across the city. Council have appointed a new contractor and have introduced new pedal and e-bikes to the service.
• Sustrans Active Travel Challenge programme (funded by Translink, Department for Infrastructure (DfI), Public Health Agency (PHA)) ran in 2024-25 encouraging people to try walking wheeling or public transport as a cleaner, healthier option for their everyday journeys.
• Sustrans Active School Travel Programme recruited 25 schools to join in Belfast for the 2025-26 academic year.
• Finalised designs for phase two of the Lagan greenway (Lagan Lands East to Belvoir Forest Park) as part of DfI’s Belfast Cycling Network, with continued work progressing on Sydenham, West Belfast and Blackstaff greenways.
• With support from the Department for Infrastructure, Council has improved public cycle parking; The Bike Yard in Castlecourt Shopping Centre can house 24 bikes and offers all-day on-site security. Schemes have also been completed at Finaghy Primary School, Queen’s University and Titanic Quarter. Covered cycle stands with green roofs to help improve air quality and encourage biodiversity are also available at nine sites.
• Council accredited as a Silver Cycle Friendly Employer.
• Work is now progressing to design and deliver the majority of schemes in the Belfast Cycling Network Delivery Plan’s short-term list.

Future city centre and wider regeneration and investment

Since November 2023, Belfast continues to make tangible progress towards our shared ambition of making our city centre a vibrant, attractive and welcoming place to live, work and visit with good connectivity to our surrounding neighbourhoods. Work continues on a number of strategic projects such as the delivery of the ‘Bolder Vision’ strategy, the refresh of our Belfast City Centre Regeneration and Investment Strategy and Place-Based Growth Proposition. Partners have continued to work together on a range of projects with multiple social, economic and sustainable benefits felt across the city and beyond.

A City Imagining

Evolving from Belfast’s European Capital of Culture aspirations and delivered through the city’s cultural strategy, “A City Imagining,” Belfast hosted the city’s largest year of creative and cultural celebration ever in 2024.  

The Belfast 2024 cultural programme recorded over 110,000 people participating in 1400+ events and other activities which were hosted across the city; 97 per cent of attendees surveyed reported feeling proud that this was happening in Belfast, with 36 per cent from outside the city.

In March 2025, it was announced that Belfast City Council in partnership with Ards Comhaltas Cheoil na hÉireann will deliver the Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann in 2026. It’s estimated that this diverse celebration of music, dance and language will attract over 650,000 visitors and generate approximately £50 million in economic impact. This international exposure will help boost the city’s reputation as a thriving global cultural capital which is welcoming, dynamic and inspirational.

A City Exploring

In January 2025, the Department for the Economy launched a Tourism Vision and Action Plan aiming to grow the tourism sector and increase tourism expenditure to over £2 billion by the end of our Belfast Agenda ten-year plan in 2035 from a baseline position of £1.2 billion recorded in 2023. Despite the severe impact of Covid-19 on the visitor economy, Belfast maintains its appeal as a fantastic city break destination with high levels of visitor satisfaction. We’ve attracted business events that have delivered demonstratable social and economic benefits for the city and wider region.

Delivery highlights and progress

• An estimated £539 million spend on overnight trips in 2023, up from the 2019 baseline of £424 million; this represents almost 45 per cent of tourism revenue for Northern Ireland in 2023 (Source: Visit Belfast).
• Total number of overnight trips to Belfast in 2024 was 1,452,849, with 51 per cent of visitors taking a holiday, 31 per cent visiting friends or relatives and 18 per cent coming for business or other reason (Source: NISRA).
• Belfast had the highest number of overnight trips of any Local Government District during 2024 (1.5M or 31 per cent of all NI overnight trips); The total spend during overnight trips was £469,643,365 in 2024 (Source: NISRA).
• City centre hotel occupancy achieved 79.2 per cent, with 1.4million rooms sold (Source: Visit Belfast).

Visit Belfast industry sustainability survey (2024-25) was completed by 160 tourism businesses. Key findings include:

• £1.4 million raised for charitable and social causes
• 30 per cent of respondents have a Corporate Social Responsibility Strategy
• 61 per cent of respondents had sponsored a local community event
• 77 per cent of respondents had supported a charitable or social initiative
• 96 per cent of respondents have adopted sustainable practices, and
• 51 per cent of respondents are measuring all or some of their carbon emissions.

Visit Belfast also commissioned the city’s first dedicated resident sentiment survey to measure attitudes towards tourism in 2024-5 which found that Belfast enjoys strong support for tourism amongst its residents. Key findings include: 

• 92 per cent agree that tourism is beneficial for Belfast
• 93 per cent agree that tourism allows people to learn about Belfast’s culture and history
• 91 per cent agree that tourism supports local businesses
• 87 per cent agree that tourism helps to create a more vibrant Belfast with more things to see and do, and
• 84 per cent are interested in taking part in more tourism activities.

Visit Belfast handled 14,555 enquiries for neighbourhoods in north, south, east and west of the city in 2024-25, an indicator of the increasing interest in tourism that benefits our communities. 

The city ranked 9th out of 100 international destinations on the Global Sustainability Index in 2024; the city also received a number of other accolades, including:   

• Top five destination to visit in the UK 2024 (Time Out)
• Best UK and Ireland Port of Call 2023 (Cruise Critic Awards)
• Top 30 most exciting destinations to visit in 2024 (National Geographic 'The Cool List' 2024), and
• Top 10 sustainable travel destination in the world (Tripadvisor 2024 Travellers' Choice Awards).

Waterfront Taskforce

The Belfast Waterfront Taskforce (2021) launched Belfast Waterfront Framework in 2023, an agreed vision for 10km stretch of connected waterfront promenade. Since launching, public and private sector partners have invested over £12 million into public realm projects on the waterfront and a further £650,000 has been secured to undertake feasibility on transforming areas under the M3 Bridge into health and wellbeing opportunities, a new bridge from Titanic Quarter to Sailortown and Blueway accreditation for the River Lagan. New footfall counters installed along the promenade in March 2024, have recorded 6.4million trips up to July 2025.

Belfast Stories 

Belfast Stories will be a unique destination that will unlock almost 100 years of heritage at the 1930 Art Deco Bank of Ireland and surrounding site on the corner of Royal Avenue and North Street. 

Set to open by 2030, Belfast Stories is the flagship project in the tourism and regeneration pillar of the Belfast Region City Deal (BRCD) programme of investment which aims to drive inclusive economic growth, deliver more and better jobs, a positive impact on the most deprived communities and help balance the spread of benefits across the region. Belfast Stories threads together a public space where people can gather, a visitor attraction communicating the spirit of the city and a creative hub for writers, musicians, artists and filmmakers to collaborate.

Delivery highlights and progress

• In 2023, following an international design competition, Oslo-based architect Snøhetta, in partnership with Belfast-based Todd Architects, were appointed to lead the architectural design of Belfast Stories, working with Gillespies on landscape design.
• In early 2024, Ralph Applebaum Associates along with Barker Langham were appointed to develop the Interpretive masterplan and Experience Concept Design up to RIBA stage 2.
• The first public consultation took place in November 2022 to inform the project brief in advance of appointing design teams. The second public consultation (November 2024 to March 2025) aimed to raise awareness and gain buy-in; ensure Belfast Stories is for everyone; and gain feedback on concept designs and proposed facilities to inform the next phase of the project. The consultation reached over 4,900 people with 84 per cent saying they would visit Belfast Stories and 82 per cent likely to recommend Belfast Stories to family or friends.
• Positive consumer testing took place with audiences across Northern Ireland, Republic of Ireland, Great Britain, USA, France and Germany. 74 per cent of survey respondents would consider visiting Belfast Stories and 83 per cent felt Belfast Stories was exciting.
• The Outline Business Case (OBC) was approved at Council in May 2025 and subsequently submitted to the Department for the Economy (DfE) for BRCD funding.

Vacant to Vibrant – City Centre and Citywide

In 2022, Council allocated £1 million to the Vacant to Vibrant capital grant programme designed to incentivise property owners and potential occupiers to bring vacant premises in the city centre back into active use.

The fund was fully exhausted in 2025, having supported 48 projects across Belfast city centre to revitalise vacant properties and enable new and expanding local businesses, social enterprises, and cultural organisations to activate spaces and improve streetscapes. It has also supported investment in shop front improvements, signage, internal fit-outs, accessibility upgrades, and more, helping to bridge the viability gap of reactivating vacant space in the city centre. In addition to the capital grant, applicants were also offered a free matchmaking service helping those seeking the right vacant spaces to meet their needs and wraparound business support from Council’s Economic Development Unit.

It is anticipated that for every £1 invested, at least £3.98 will be returned in rates income over the term of the leases due to the activation of vacant properties. Council secured £500,000 of capital funding from the Department for Communities and the UK Shared Prosperity Fund to extend the scheme beyond the city centre in November 2024.

The Vacant to Vibrant scheme was recognised by the Institute of Place Management (IPM) as exemplary in terms of inception and design; it was promoted as a UK High Street Task Force Best Practice Case Study for the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities. The scheme has also has also received extensive coverage in the media, for example, High Society Cut Club were recognised for opening their unique business in a property that had been vacant for 20 years; Bodega Bagels were featured in BBC news coverage and ‘Beau’ a sister restaurant establishment of EDO, led by Great British Menu chef Lottie Noren, received acclaim in The Times.

Golden Thread Gallery 

The owner of this once vacant unit on Queen Street availed of Vacant to Vibrant funding to restore the historic building, with a view to securing a long-term occupier. Works to the property included new metal framed ‘Crittal’ windows, installation of new lighting and flooring, internal fitout and redecoration internal and external of the building. These works helped the property owner to secure a tenant in the form of award-winning Golden Thread art gallery. Set across two floors, the venue includes large galleries, a projection room, a community participation and engagement hub, and NI’s first visual art library and archive. The Gallery was shortlisted as a top five UK museum by The Art Fund Museum of the Year, 2025.

The Entries Programme

The “Entries Programme” and reopening of the historic Sugarhouse Entry was completed in the city centre (manged by Council, funded by the Department for Communities), improving connectivity, attractiveness and preserving the historic heart of the city.

Clean, Green, Inclusive and Safe city centre

The Clean, Green, Inclusive and Safe (CGIS) City Centre strategy and action plan responded to the findings of a public consultation, benchmarking exercise, and Strategic Stakeholder Engagement Study, involving a wide range of stakeholders. 

Key achievements include the procurement of new power washer to improve street washing and cleansing capabilities with plans in place to recruit new staff to create a power washing team; Council-led anti-litter campaigns in the city centre and beyond; ongoing operation of 2 Royal Avenue as a curated, welcoming public civic space in the city centre. 

The Department for Infrastructure have established a multi-agency task and finish group to continue the focus on city centre and functionality; Council have also established a Future City Centre Leadership Coordination Group to raise and expedite issues relating to place keeping, management and development in the city centre.

Work also continues on the delivery of a Cleanliness Charter for Belfast.

An Innovation Destination 

Belfast continues to have a strong focus on innovation, with several key initiatives and partnerships driving its development as a leading innovation hub.  

Delivery highlights and progress

• Secured £3.8 million from Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, and leveraged a further £1.7 million of partner co-investment to deliver eleven 5G adoption projects across transport, logistics, creative industries, and advanced manufacturing.
• Delivered the Augment the City programme that provided £575,000 directly to ten creative SMEs to collaborate with Belfast Stories to develop augmented reality innovations to enhance the visitor experience.
• Opened an Augmented Reality (AR) Experience as part of the City Hall exhibition, attracting thousands of weekly visitors and making Belfast the first UK and Ireland city to host AR in a civic building. The project attracted £1 million of private sector research and development support.
• Established a global innovation partnership between Belfast and South Korea’s smart city of Sejong to support business and university collaborations in areas such as cybersecurity and med tech.
• Delivered the Hubs of Innovation programme with Maritime Belfast Trust and provided over £100,000 to support grass-roots innovation projects in AI and Augmented Reality between creative entrepreneurs and local community organisations.