DOA_01 Sailortown, Greater Clarendon and City Quays Masterplan

Role and consultation process

Role of Supplementary Planning Guidance

This Supplementary Planning Guidance (SPG) provides advice on the future visions and roles of a series of Development Opportunity Areas (DOAs) identified across the city centre, with an emphasis on placemaking principles and good urban design practice.

• Planning officers - in assessing and making recommendations on planning applications.
• Elected members - who make decisions on planning applications.
• Applicants and their multidisciplinary design teams (urban designers, architects, landscape architects, developers and planning consultants) - in preparation of planning applications.
• Communities and their local representatives.
• Other interested stakeholders within the planning process.

This SPG applies to a specific ‘opportunity’ area identified within the Belfast City Centre boundary and is intended to be a point of reference for: policies contained within the current planning policy framework, including development plans and regional planning guidance.

The information set out in this SPG should therefore be read in conjunction with the existing planning policy framework, most notably the Strategic Planning Policy Statement (SPPS) for Northern Ireland and policies contained within the Belfast Local Development Plan (LDP).

Front façade of St Joseph’s Church, Sailortown

Photograph of City Quays Garden, a high-quality public space off Corporation Square

Public consultation 

We published draft SPG in respect of DOA_01 Sailortown, Greater Clarendon and City Quays for public consultation for a period of 12 weeks from 06 November 2025 to 29 January 2026. 

In keeping with our Statement of Community Involvement (SCI), we endeavoured to ensure that the exercise was meaningful, inclusive and fit for purpose. Throughout the consultation process we aimed to provide clear information and encourage participation in an informative, user friendly, inclusive, open and transparent way. 

Informal pre-consultation stakeholder meetings 

In advance of the formal public consultation process, a series of informal meetings and presentations were held with key stakeholders and landowners associated with the DOA.

These informal discussions were held between August and October 2025 with representatives from Belfast Harbour, Ulster University, the Sailortown Regeneration Group, well as a range of Statutory Agencies including representation from DfI, NI Water, DAERA, NIHE and DfC.