Performance Improvement Plan 2025-2026

The council has a statutory duty to put arrangements in place to secure continuous performance improvement. We are also specifically required to produce an annual Performance Improvement Plan (PIP). However, everything we do in the council is focused on improving the lives of people who live in or visit Belfast. Figure 1 shows the legislative context, plans and strategies that form our performance management framework for improving outcomes for the people in Belfast and demonstrates how the council’s corporate objectives are cascaded throughout the organisation.

The council's performance management framework

Overarching strategic plans

• Belfast Agenda
• Corporate Plan
• Local Development Plan
• Medium-term Financial Strategy

Supporting strategies and plans

• People Strategy
• Digital Strategy
• Financial Planning
• Disability Strategy
• Equality Action Plan
• Good Relations Strategy
• Asset Management Strategy
• Resilience Strategy
• Capital Strategy
• Belfast Regional City Deal
• Inclusive Growth Strategy
• Economic Strategy

Strategic frameworks, policies and processes

• Departmental, service and business plans
• Programme, project and action plans
• Individual and personal development plans

These arrangements are in accordance with Part 12 (Section 84 (2)) of the Local Government Act which states that they should improve our functions in terms of:

• Strategic effectiveness
• Service quality
• Service availability
• Fairness
• Sustainability
• Efficiency
• Innovation

Strategic context

Our community plan, the Belfast Agenda was updated in 2024, with input from partners, residents, and other stakeholders to reflect the city’s current priorities. The overarching strategic plan explains the WHY of what we are doing, providing a holistic view of the needs and aspirations of the city, and articulating this in five long-term outcomes. It outlines how partners will work collectively to support the most vulnerable in our city while growing the economy, regenerating neighbourhoods, supporting communities, and achieving our climate targets. Figure 2 depicts the five strategic themes and priorities, the five things people want for Belfast by 2035 (our outcomes) and our ambitions which outline our key targets to make our vision a reality.

The Belfast Agenda 2024-2028

Ambitions

• Our city is home to an additional 66,000 people
• 33 per cent reduction in the life expectancy gap between the most and least deprived neighbourhoods
• Our economy will support 46,000 additional jobs
• Every young person leaving school has a destination that fulfils their potential
• Our carbon emissions will be reduced by 80 per cent

Themes

• Our people and communities
  • Health inequalities
  • Community and neighbourhood regeneration
• Our economy
  • Educational inequalities
  • Jobs and skills
  • Sustainable and inclusive economic growth
• Our place
  • Housing-led regeneration
  • Connectivity, active and sustainable travel
  • Future City Centre and wider regeneration and investment
• Our planet 
  • Re-naturing the city and increasing resilience to climate change
  • Creating a sustainable circular economy
  • Innovating to Net-Zero
• Compassionate city
  • Inclusive growth and anti-poverty
  • Good relations and shared future
  • Older people
  • Younger people

Outcomes

• Everyone benefits from a thriving and prosperous economy
• Welcoming, safe, fair and inclusive for all
• Vibrant, attractive, connected and environmentally sustainable
• Everyone experiences good health and wellbeing
• Everyone fulfils their potential

Corporate Plan 2025-2028

The council’s Corporate Plan 2025-2028 sets out our approach to delivering for local people in a time of both significant opportunity and considerable challenges for our city. The Corporate Plan is inextricably linked to the Belfast Agenda and explains what the council will do to contribute to the outcomes as well as outlining the key priorities for us as an organisation. And finally, committee plans, and other departmental and business plans detail how. Our corporate priority themes for the next three years are outlined in Figure 3.

Figure 3 is a diagram presenting the council’s Corporate Plan 2025-2028:

Themes and Priorities

• Civic leadership
• Our services
• A fit-for-purpose organisation
• Our people and communities
  • Health inequalities
  • Community and neighbourhood regeneration
• Our economy
  • Educational inequalities
  • Jobs and skills 
  • Sustainable and inclusive economic growth
• Our place
  • Housing and regeneration
  • Connectivity, active and sustainable travel 
  • Future city centre and wider city regeneration and investment
• Our planet
  • Innovating to net zero
  • Creating a sustainable circular economy
  • Re-naturing the city and increasing resilience to climate change
• Compassionate city
  • Inclusive growth and anti-poverty
  • Older people
  • Children and young people
  • Good relations and shared future