1. Purpose of document
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 identified across the city centre, with an emphasis on placemaking principles and good urban design practice.
This SPG forms one of a suite of guidance documents and applies to specific ‘opportunity’ areas identified within the Belfast City Centre boundary and is intended to be a point of reference for:
- 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, planners, architects, landscape architects, developers and planning consultants) - in preparation of planning applications.
- Communities and their local representatives.
- Other interested stakeholders within the planning process.
Photograph of St Anne's Cathedral and its wider setting on Donegall Street

Photograph of Commercial Court which has been transformed into a vibrant and creative public spill-out space
