Rural Needs Impact Assessment: Corporation Street and Exchange Street Place-making Brief

Published in May 2022

Contents

Section 1 - Defining the activity subject to Section 1(1) of the Rural Needs Act (NI) 2016

1A. Name of public authority

Belfast City Council

1B. Please provide a short title, which describes the activity being undertaken by the public authority that is subject to the Section 1(1) of the Rural Needs Act (NI) 2016.

Corporation Street and Exchange Street Place-making Brief

1C. Please indicate which category the activity specified in Section 1B relates to.

Belfast City Council's activity relates to implementing a plan.

1D. Please provide the official title (if any) of the policy, strategy, plan for public service document or initiative relating to the category indicated in Section 1C.

Corporation Street and Exchange Street Place-making Brief

1E. Please provide details of the aims or objectives of the policy, strategy, plan or public service.

Mixed use regeneration

The council is committed to the regeneration of the city via the Belfast Agenda and the City Centre Regeneration and Investment Strategy. Members have been clear that this regeneration programme needs to facilitate the creation of jobs, more homes, better connectivity, more open and high-quality space and community infrastructure for local people. To deliver the scale of regeneration set out, these conditions need to be put in place:

• A clear understanding of suitability of various sites and parts of the city for different types of development or space
• The right mix of asset classes to build both the social and the economic infrastructure needed for a sustainable city
• An appropriate mix of public and private sector investment and development
• Partnerships between the public sector and the private sector
• Effective planning policies and processes to ensure high standards of more sustainable development.

Strategic site assessment

The council commissioned the Strategic Sites Assessment (SSA) in August 2018 to assess the regeneration potential of the council’s fifteen publicly-operated city centre car parks and adjoining publicly-owned land. This was in response to the Belfast City Centre Regeneration and Investment Strategy (BCCRIS), Car Park Strategy (CPS) and Action Plan and city centre Masterplans that all recommend a rationalisation of low density surface level car parking to unlock regeneration opportunities in line with the Belfast Agenda’s inclusive growth ambitions.

At the meeting of City Growth and Regeneration Committee in June 2019, members agreed that a report be submitted to a future meeting of the committee providing details of air quality levels across the city and that reference be made to air quality within future reports.

The SSA sought to identify mixed use regeneration opportunities that would contribute directly to BCCRIS and support the priorities of the Belfast Agenda. Inclusive growth was considered within the context of growing the city centre residential and employment population and enhancing connectivity and open space provision. The SSA also identified potential opportunities for maximising comprehensive regeneration through wider land assembly or joint development opportunities across public and private sector land. Members should note that whilst the SSA is being undertaken in collaboration with DfC, the department will progress any potential future development or disposal of lands in their ownership within the context of their respective governance processes.

The SSA comprised a four-stage process to consider those car parks which might be suitable for mixed-use regeneration in the short term. The shortlisting process prioritised six car park sites, grouped into three priority clusters:

• Inner North West Cluster (Kent Street, Little Donegall Street, Smithfield)
• Clarendon Cluster (Dunbar Street and Exchange Street)
• Ormeau Avenue

Site visit and workshop

Following an update on the SSA initial findings in June 2019, the City Growth and Regeneration Committee agreed to further engagement by a workshop. A site visit and workshop for members took place on 4 September 2019. The site visit involved a walk around two of the SSA cluster areas; the INW (Smithfield, Samuel Street, Kent Street, Library Street, Little Donegall Street) and Clarendon (Dunbar Street).

At the workshop, the three SSA priority cluster sites were presented with details of land ownership, potential place-making and regeneration potential when comprehensively planned with adjoining third-party land, potential uses and densities and recommendations for taking forward. Feedback from members included:

• The need for engagement with neighbouring communities
• Ensuring inclusive, shared development
• Agreement that the city centre offers significant regeneration potential and the opportunity to maximise the regeneration potential through working collaboratively with other landowners
• Potential to provide social enterprise and community infrastructure
• Support the need to unlock city centre living including working with the Northern Ireland Housing Executive, utilising public sector lands for mixed tenure opportunities, exploring potential public sector funding mechanisms and engaging with investors and developers
• Support for a comprehensive place-making approach and the potential opportunities to maximise this through strategic land assembly
• Desire for the council to retain control over development through title retention, detailed development briefs or joint ventures and to ensure social and economic benefits are maximised

Further engagement with members took place via party group briefings during October 2019 outlining the development potential and opportunities of each of the priority clusters. 

SSA findings and recommendations

For each cluster site, the multi-disciplinary SSA team prepared a planning appraisal, conceptual development proposal and an initial assessment of the net loss in car parking provision. 

An overview of the development potential for each of the clusters will be presented to committee with a summary given. These sketches provide information on the potential heights, mass, densities and potential uses for each of the sites considered based on market information, location and maximum regeneration potential for each of the cluster areas. The final heights, mass, densities and uses will be informed by the market, brought forward by legal agreements through which the council can control the nature and timescale of development (subject to terms to be agreed by the council’s Estates Unit and Legal Services).

Final Development Agreements will be presented to City Growth and Regeneration Committee, however all decisions on agreements, financial returns from future land transactions will be taken by Strategic Policy and Resources Committee following advice from the council’s Estates and Legal Departments.

It should be noted that there will be an impact on the revenue collected by the council for car parking and it is proposed that a detailed report on this and the potential to realise a revenue stream via other means should be developed and brought back to committee.

Corporation Street and Exchange Street Place-making Brief

The Clarendon Cluster comprises two council-operated car parks known as Dunbar Street and Exchange Street. The Dunbar Street car park is being considered as part of a separate study, however. The SSA concluded that there was an opportunity to combine the Exchange Street car park with the adjacent vacant land then owned by Department of Finance (DoF). The SSA also concluded that the regeneration of the Exchange Street and Corporation Street sites combined would directly contribute to the aims of the Greater Clarendon and Sailortown Masterplan.

In January 2020 the Strategic Policy and Resources Committee noted the significant regeneration opportunity of aligning the Corporation Street site with the council’s existing Exchange Street site to provide an enhanced mixed tenure, residential-led development opportunity. The council concluded the acquisition of the Corporation Street site in 2020.

It is anticipated that the commission comprise six key areas of work outlined. However, it is expected that on appointment the successful consultant will recommend any necessary amendments to ensure the objectives of the project are successfully delivered.

• Baseline analysis
• Engagement
• Concepts for PAD 1 and 2
• Development appraisals and sensitivity analysis
• Concept place-making plan
• Next steps and recommendations

It is expected that the work will closely align with a number of plans, policies and strategies, including, but not limited to: The Belfast Agenda, Belfast City Centre Regeneration Strategy, Greater Clarendon (Sailortown) Masterplan, Belfast Metropolitan Transport Plan, Car Park Strategy & Action Plan, Belfast LDP Draft Plan Strategy, A Bolder Vision for Belfast, Belfast Resilience Strategy, Living Places and Belfast: Our Recovery.

Baseline analysis

This will include:

• A comprehensive desktop research exercise to review existing materials and identify and address any gaps in the existing analysis held by the council.
• A review of guidance from relevant policy and strategy documents, for example, Belfast City Centre Regeneration and Investment Strategy, Belfast Agenda, Greater Clarendon and Sailortown Masterplan, A Bolder Vision, Inclusive Growth Strategy, Resilience Strategy, Cultural Strategy, Belfast Urban Area Plan, draft Belfast Metropolitan Area Plan and Belfast LDP Draft Plan Strategy.
• A review and analysis of existing development proposals within the Area of Wider Interest. Including developer details, development status, planning status and commentary on the relationship with the study site.
• Pre-development inquiries with NIW, NIE, and any other identified, relevant utility companies to collate utilities maps and identify possible constraints.
• Topographical survey of the site
• Desktop ground contamination study (Preliminary Risk Assessment)
• Flood risk assessment
• Parking survey of surrounding area (suggested 400-metre radius) in context of Belfast Car Parking Strategy
• Consideration of:
  • ​Constraints, including (but not limited to): Land ownership, rights of way, utilities, contamination, road and transport infrastructure, other connectivity barriers, related development proposals, heritage issues, planning guidance and policy and any other identified constraint.
  • Opportunities, including (but not limited to): Social, economic, equality, environmental and physical benefits, regeneration benefits, urban design, connectivity and place-making benefits, active travel and transport benefits, rates income and any other identified opportunity. To include consideration of incorporation of adjoining sites either through joint proposal or acquisition.

Deliverable: A graphical, visual summary of the baseline analysis supported by text, maps and imagery in PDF format.

Engagement

This will include:

• An extensive stakeholder engagement process built into the methodology and supported by a Stakeholder Engagement Plan, to be agreed with the council.
• Engage with surrounding landowners and stakeholders to understand their issues and priorities for the area, and any areas of mutual interest
• Engagement must have consideration for Section 75 groups.
• The council will provide assistance with engagement for example providing contacts.
• Consider engagement feedback to inform concept development options for the lands and associated public realm opportunities.
• Securing stakeholder support for the concept placemaking plan.
• Sites visits with stakeholders.

Deliverable: A text and visual summary of the stakeholder engagement process and feedback. This must include a clear summary of how stakeholder views have been considered within the project.

Concepts for PADs 1 and 2

This will include:

• Providing all supporting information for two pre-application discussion (PAD) meetingS with Planning Service (no fee is required for PADs).
• Attending and presenting information at PADs. Taking note of all discussion feedback and agreed actions.
• Reviewing feedback and presenting recommendations to CRD on appropriate design changes to be made.
• Material similar to RIBA Stage 2 for two PAD meetings.

Deliverable: All material required to ensure a quality PAD process and responding, in detail, to feedback from Planning Service and consultees. It is expected that this will involve a Planning Statement, draft Design and Access Statement, Concept Layout Plan, draft Landscape Plan, draft floor plans and elevations and possibly street sections where appropriate. CGIs or sketch illustrations will also be useful for the PADs.

Development appraisals and sensitivity analysis

This will include:

• Develop initial costings analysis and viability assessment for the proposed plans and provide recommendations for collaboration between landowners and any potential for site assembly.
• Undertake sensitivity analysis based on variables to be agreed.

Deliverable: Detailed appraisals with text explanation and recommendations.

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Section 2 – Understanding the impact of the policy, strategy, plan or public service

2A. Is the policy, strategy, plan or public service likely to impact on people in rural areas?

Yes
No

No. If the response is 'No', go to Section 2E.

2B. Please explain how the policy, strategy, plan or public service is likely to impact on people in rural areas.

This is not applicable.

2C. If the policy, strategy, plan or public service is likely to impact on people in rural areas differently from people in urban areas, please explain how it is likely to impact on people in rural areas differently.

This is not applicable.

2D. Please indicate which of the following rural policy areas the policy, strategy, plan or public service is likely to primarily impact on.

If the response to Section 2A was 'Yes', go to Section 3A.

2E. Please explain why the policy, strategy, plan or public service is not likely to impact on people in rural areas.

This project has considered the impacts on a range of existing and potential stakeholders. We do not consider this policy to have relevance to the social and economic needs of people in rural areas.

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Section 3 – Identifying the social and economic needs of persons in rural areas

3A. Has the public authority taken steps to identify the social and economic needs of people in rural areas that are relevant to the policy, strategy, plan or public service?

Yes
No   

No. If the response is 'No', go to Section 3E.

3B. Please indicate which of the following methods or information sources were used by the public authority to identify the social and economic needs of people in rural areas.

3C. Please provide details of the methods and information sources used to identify the social and economic needs of people in rural areas including relevant dates, names of organisations, titles of publications, website references, details of surveys or consultations undertaken. 

This is not applicable.

3D. Please provide details of the social and economic needs of people in rural areas which have been identified by the public authority.

This is not applicable.

If the response to Section 3A was 'Yes', go to Section 4A.

3E. Please explain why no steps were taken by the public authority to identify the social and economic needs of people in rural areas.

This project has considered the impacts on a range of existing and potential stakeholders. We do not consider this policy to have relevance to the social and economic needs of people in rural areas. 

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Section 4 – Considering the social and economic needs of persons in rural areas

4A. Please provide details of the issues considered in relation to the social and economic needs of people in rural areas.

This project has considered the impacts on a range of existing and potential stakeholders. We do not consider this policy to have relevance to the social and economic needs of people in rural areas. 

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Section 5 – Influencing the policy, strategy, plan or public service

5A. Has the development, adoption, implementation or revising of the policy, strategy or plan, or the design or delivery of the public service, been influenced by the rural needs identified?

Yes
No

No. If the response is 'No', go to Section 5C.

5B. Please explain how the development, adoption, implementation or revising of the policy, strategy or plan, or the design or delivery of the public service, has been influenced by the rural needs identified?

This is not applicable.

If the response to Section 5A was 'Yes', go to Section 6A.

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5C. Please explain why the development, adoption, implementation or revising of the policy, strategy or plan, or the design or the delivery of the public service, has not been influenced by the rural needs identified.

This project has considered the impacts on a range of existing and potential stakeholders. We do not consider this policy to have relevance to the social and economic needs of people in rural areas.

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Section 6 – Documenting and recording

6A. Please tick to confirm that the RNIA template will be retained by the public authority and relevant information on Section 1 activity compiled in accordance with paragraph 6.7 of the guidance.

Confirmation statement

I confirm that the RNIA Template will be retained and relevant information compiled.

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