Our arrangements to ensure continuous improvement
The council has a statutory duty to ensure 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 legal context, plans and strategies that form our strategic framework for improving outcomes for the people of Belfast. It also shows how the council’s corporate objectives are implemented throughout the organisation.
The council's strategic framework
External environment
- Legislative drivers and regional context
Overarching strategic plans
- Community Plan Belfast Agenda – our vision for 2035
- Local Development Plan our 15-year spatial framework
- Corporate Plan – our medium-term strategic plan
- Medium-term Financial Strategy – aligned to the Corporate Plan
- Corporate Delivery Plan
- Performance Improvement Plan
- City Growth and Regeneration Committee Plan
- People and Communities Committee Plan
Supporting strategies and plans
These include:
- Belfast Region City Deal
- Inclusive Growth Strategy
- Economic Strategy
- Community Support Plan
- Cultural Strategy
- People Strategy
- Capital Strategy
- Digital Strategy
- Climate Action Plan
- Asset Management Strategy
- Good Relations Strategy
Departmental, service and unit plans
Programme, project and action plans
Individual and personal development plans
These include supporting strategies and plans.
Assurance frameworks, policies and processes
These include:
- Belfast City Council Constitution
- Code of conduct
- Code of governance
- The council's financial regulations
- Region City Deal
- Business Continuity Management Policy
- The council’s Safeguarding policies and procedures
- Inclusive Growth Strategy
- Equality scheme and toolkit
- Health and Safety Policy
- Risk Management Strategy
- Scheme of Delegation
- Data Protection Policy
- Freedom of Information Protocol
- Internal Audit
- Assurance statements and framework
- Planning and Performance Management Framework
- Learning and Development Policy
- NIAO and other external audits
- Range of governance policies
These arrangements are in accordance with Part 12 (Section 84 (2)) of the Local Government Act (link opens in new window) which states that they should improve our functions in terms of:
- Strategic effectiveness
- Service quality
- Service availability
- Fairness
- Sustainability
- Efficiency
- Innovation
Figure 1: The council's strategic framework
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 what we are doing and why. It provides a clear view of the needs and aspirations of the city and sets out five long-term outcomes. It outlines how partners will work together to support the most vulnerable in our city, grow the economy, regenerate neighbourhoods, support communities, while working to achieve our climate targets.
Figure 2 shows the five strategic themes and priorities, the five things people want for Belfast by 2035 (our outcomes) and our ambitions which set out 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 and priorities
- 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 closely linked to the Belfast Agenda and explains what the council will do to contribute to the outcomes set out in Figure 2 as well as outlining the key priorities for us as an organisation. Committee plans and other departmental and business plans set out how this will be delivered. Our corporate priority themes for the next three years, up to 2028, 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
