Revitalizing City Centre: From Car Parks to Homes and Retail

Belfast City Centre Transformation

A number of car parks and vacant land in Belfast City Centre are set to be transformed into a new housing and retail development, Belfast City Council have announced. The council have appointed Clanmil Housing Association to develop a mixed-use, residential led scheme in the city centre’s inner northwest area. 1.7 acres of city centre land owned by Belfast City Council and the Department for Communities at Little Donegall Street, Library Street, and Kent Street is to be developed as a significant housing-led regeneration scheme, with placemaking and neighborhood connections at its core. It is envisaged that the residential scheme will see the delivery of a range of mixed tenure homes, consisting of social and private houses and apartments to meet the changing needs of people who want to live in the city. The scheme will also feature community infrastructure spaces and commercial units. Councillor Ryan Murphy, Chair of Belfast City Council’s Strategic Policy and Resources Committee, said: 'This important partnership between Belfast City Council, the Department for Communities, and Clanmil will result in real progress being made towards achieving our targets for city center living, set out in the Belfast Agenda and our Bolder Vision for Belfast.'

Partnership and Regeneration

Our city center’s inner northwest area has been crying out for regeneration and investment for years. We've seen the positive changes brought in the past couple of years by the Ulster University campus, and the Belfast Stories visitor attraction, creative hub, and public space will really boost the area’s revitalization come 2030. However, we see city center living, and connecting to surrounding communities, as a critical and pressing part of the regeneration jigsaw. We want to create sustainable, quality places that people want to live, work, and play in. Appointing Clanmil following a joint Development Brief process with the Department for Communities builds on our commitment to increase city centre living and provide much-needed homes. It is also a further indication of the Council’s resolve to work with a range of partners to deliver on housing-led regeneration to help address housing demand and it follows our recent appointment of GRAHAM as our long-term private sector partner to work alongside Council to deliver residential-led, mixed-use, sustainable developments at scale, initially across multiple Council-owned sites, with future opportunity to include further public and privately-owned sites. 'This is just the start of the process, which will require extensive engagement with a range of stakeholders, including local communities, NIHE, and statutory bodies. But it’s a hugely exciting step forward to providing much-needed housing and we look forward to working closely with Clanmil Housing Association and the Department for Communities to deliver it.'

Community Impact and Future Vision

Welcoming the appointment of Clanmil Communities Minister Gordon Lyons said: 'This is a significant step toward the delivery of much-needed city center residential accommodation that will deliver on a number of my Department’s policy objectives, including housing and regeneration, by creating a more vibrant and attractive city center where people will want to live, work and visit. This development also aligns with the aims of the Housing Supply Strategy - to build more homes and develop thriving communities.' Carol McTaggart, Group Chief Executive at Clanmil said: 'We are delighted to have been appointed delivery partner for this exciting city center residential led development. Social housing has an important role to play in the regeneration of Belfast and in contributing to the Council’s ambition to grow the city by 66,000 residents by 2035. This landmark project will help provide the homes people need now and in the future.'