Belfast Agenda

The Belfast Agenda - the city's community plan

We published our city’s first community plan in November 2017, the Belfast Agenda. Created by a partnership of key city partners, residents and community organisations, the Belfast Agenda  sets out our joint vision and long-term ambitions for Belfast’s future, as well as outlining our priorities for action over the next four years.

The Belfast Agenda 2023-2027

We’re required under legislation to regularly review our community plan. Our first formal review of the Belfast Agenda has found us in challenging circumstances emerging from the pandemic and responding to a growing cost-of-living crisis. It takes account of significant political, economic and social changes locally, nationally and internationally.

Following a two-year period of extensive consultation and engagement with city partners, residents and other stakeholders to get their views, we have updated the Belfast Agenda and action plans to ensure that it reflects the city’s current priorities. 

• Read the updated draft Belfast Agenda
• Read the draft Belfast Agenda Action Plan

A public consultation on the updated draft Belfast Agenda and draft action plans took place from August to October 2023. You can find out more on our consultation website, Your Say Belfast (link opens in new window). This consultation has now closed.

We have also published a draft equality impact assessment (EQIA) of the Belfast Agenda. This consultation closed on 30 October.

We anticipate publishing the final Belfast Agenda 2023-2027 and action plan in winter 2023.

Watch

This 2-minute, 20-second video describes the collective vision of community planning partners for Belfast in 2035 and our priorities for the next four years.

Progress made during first community plan

There has been major progress made in areas that we and our partners agreed were priorities when we first published The Belfast Agenda. For example, during the period of the first community plan:

• over 14,000 new jobs have been created
• the number of businesses increased by almost 12 per cent.
• 6,500 more people are living in Belfast.
• since the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, tourist consumer spend within Belfast has increased by £82 million (88 per cent).
• over £1.2 billion has been invested by businesses in Belfast.
• Belfast has become one of only four UNESCO Learning Cities in the UK.

Statement of Progress reports

The Belfast Community Planning Partnership published two two-year reviews of targets identified in the Belfast Agenda in November 2019 and November 2021. The Statement of Progress reports have information and statistics on:

• economic development.
• making life better for residents.
• competitiveness.
• sustainability.
• education and skills development.

View the Statement of Progress 2019 - 2021

View the Statement of Progress 2017 - 2019

Working with communities

Community planning involves public services working together with communities to deliver improvements for local people. 

• Community planning for Belfast

Voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE)

To help shape the design and delivery of The Belfast Agenda, the Community Planning Partnership established a voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) sector advisory panel.

• Voluntary, community and social enterprise sectors

Community planning information

If you would like more information about the Belfast Agenda or community planning, contact: 

The Community Planning Team 
Belfast City Hall, Room 212  
Belfast 

You can also email communityplanning@belfastcity.gov.uk or call us on 028 9032 0202.