Belfast Agenda – Statement of Progress 2017 - 2019

Statement of Progress 2017 - 2019

The Statement of Progress 2017- 2019 gives an update on more than 25 key targets for priority identified in the Belfast Agenda, the city’s first community plan.

Published by Belfast Community Planning Partnership, it includes information and statistics on key areas including economic development, making life better for residents, competitiveness, sustainability, education and skills development. 

Creating jobs and investment

• Created 5,855 jobs
• Attracted over £730 million of private sector investment 
• Created 1,315 new business start-ups 
• Increased the value of out-of-state tourism to £335 million annually
• Welcomed an additional 330,000 annual visitors to the city 
• Secured a £850 million Belfast Region City Deal for investment in important city infrastructure, new tourism regeneration assets and creating up to 20,000 new jobs 

Creating a competitive and sustainable city infrastructure

• 2.52 per cent growth in the city’s rates base
• Completed 830,000 sq. ft. in new Grade A office space to accommodate additional jobs within the city
• Created 3,002 additional hotel bed spaces within the city to attract and accommodate additional tourism 
• Increased the use of sustainable transport by 6% (from 35 per cent to 41 per cent of all journeys) 
• Implemented £90 million investment in a new Glider service to enhance connectedness across the city 
• Reduced the proportion of waste going to landfill from 42 per cent to 36 per cent 

Making life better for all our residents

• Invested £775 million in neighbourhoods across the city 
• Invested £62.4 million in four new world-class leisure facilities across the city 
• Built 854 new social homes across the city 
• Delivered £1.2 million of social innovation programmes and initiatives 
• Invested £19.4 million in health improvement initiatives 
• Invested £4.2 million in prevention of suicide and self-harm 
• 91 per cent of residents feel safe within their neighbourhoods, as reported through Belfast Residents Survey 
• Removed a physical interface barrier and created Connecting people to opportunities 

Connecting people to opportunities

• Supported 9,300 residents through employment and skills programmes with 3,300 residents progressing into employment
• Launched a citywide GCSE revision programme, providing support to 365 young people per academic year 
• Belfast became member of UNESCO Global Network of Learning Cities 
• Supported widening participation in further and higher education institutions 
• Worked across partners to implement a ‘City Youth Pledge’ 
• Implemented a Citywide Youth Support Programme to support those at risk of disengaging from education or unemployment

How to get the Statement of Progress summary

You can read The Belfast Agenda: Statement of Progress summary online.

For more information, to get a copy of the full Statement of Progress report or a summary, contact us by email communityplanning@belfastcity.gov.uk or call us on 028 9027 0234.