The single most important thing
Growing the permanent city centre residential population is the “single most important strategy for comprehensive success.”
We’re continuing to work hard, alongside all our city partners, to unlock regeneration opportunities while preserving our built heritage. We are clear that we need more city centre homes for a growing population, and we’ve recently appointed a long-term private sector development partner to work in partnership with the Council to help us deliver residential-led, mixed-use, sustainable developments across multiple Council owned sites. We’re also working with partners to enhance access to green space, to improve connectivity, and to embrace our waterfront.
Councillor Sam Nelson, Chair of City Growth and Regeneration, Belfast City Council
The hardest nut to crack?
There is a high-profile housing challenge for Northern Ireland, called out as a priority in the draft Programme for Government and all too evident in housing demand and supply data. In the context of the city centre, alongside the growing transient visitor and temporary student populations, a permanent city centre residential population remains the key objective for sustaining a successful city centre. It is also proving one of the hardest challenges to overcome. The discussion of this ranges across viability, lack of access to certain regeneration and housing funds seen in other cities, cost of borrowing, water infrastructure concerns, through to the absence of a culture of living in the centre given the city’s troubled past.
The Belfast Crane Survey has recorded a small quantity of completions across two schemes, with 48 social housing units in College Square North and 38 private units, Coyle’s Place at Portland 88 on the Ormeau Road. There are also 94 social housing homes under construction at the Gasworks. Undoubtedly, many eyes will be on Loft Lines, with nearly 800 new homes. The substantial development has brought impressive new cranes into Titanic Quarter. The focus on the performance of Loft Lines will act as a proof of concept for the wider market, which includes approximately 3,000 units with planning approval with more in the longer-term pipeline. A significant proportion of Loft Lines and the pipeline will be Build to Rent, an asset class not yet in Belfast, but which has typically reflected the next option for graduates who have enjoyed the wrap around service and experience provided through student residences. Build to Rent will also be important to help attract and retain talent for the higher paying jobs that Belfast wants to support. Geographically, the proposed schemes are spread out across the city centre, including the Titanic Quarter, City Quays, Tomb Street, Waterside and a site between Great Victoria Street and Sandy Row.
The need to deliver on ‘liveability’
The city cannot afford to wait and observe Loft Lines, it needs to progress with other factors to strengthen the liveability of the city centre. More walking, cycling and green spaces are needed. Talk of a green corridor starting with Belfast Harbour’s City Quays Gardens (under construction at time of writing) with further phases into the city centre as well as the various trails, bridges and boardwalks envisioned in the Belfast Waterfront Framework are all positive. The largely car-free Loft Lines population, due to arrive in 2026, will be an interesting test of connectivity. There are parts of the centre where walking or cycling is a challenge, not least in the surroundings of the Ulster University campus where multi-lane roads dominate. The forthcoming Eastern Transport Plan will give a longer-term view on connectivity, including the North-South Glider rapid transit and new cycle routes. Not least, there is the opportunity for the city to maximise the potential of Grand Central Station including the ongoing public realm works and development sites.
We need to talk about Tribeca
Efforts to address vacancy, dereliction and unused or underused sites are relevant to the feeling of a place as well, from affecting how you feel walking through an area or whether it’s a part of town you want to visit, live, work or invest in. The Northern Ireland Assembly has debated vesting, funding and governance structure options specifically in relation to the stalled Tribeca site. Belfast City Council, along with other stakeholders, is proactive on these issues, recently appointing GRAHAM as delivery partner to support on housing-led regeneration of Council and other public sector owned land.
Maybe it’s best finish with a challenge, or is it an opportunity? If the Tribeca site could be unlocked with a housing-led approach, the city would enjoy a very positive impact in response to arguably the two most significant questions being posed to Belfast – how to realise the potential tied up in Tribeca and how to build the city centre residential population. Does the city have the answer?
