Minutes:
The Director of City Centre Development provided the Committee with an update on the regeneration approaches which were being undertaken within the five Special Action Areas (SAAs) of the City Centre.
The Members were reminded that the Belfast City Centre Regeneration and Investment Strategy (BCCRIS) had identified five SAAs which were in need of a detailed and integrated planning approach, namely, the Inner North, the North East Quarter, the Inner West, Oxford Street/the East Bank and the Transport Hub/South Centre. The Director provided the Committee with an update on how work in each of the areas was progressing. She highlighted the importance of local neighbourhood connectivity and why it was integral to the success of the City, particularly with reference to social inclusion and creating local opportunities. It was reported that a phased approach would be taken towards preparing more intensive local plans for each SAA to ensure that the larger ambitions of the BCCRIS were met.
During discussion, the Director advised the Members that representatives from the Transport Hub had offered to present to a future meeting of the City Growth and Regeneration Committee.
The Director outlined proposals for a city animation programme, commencing in the summer of 2017, working with the local sector on a number of seasonal and longer term interventions. The Members were provided with a number of examples of where successful schemes had been implemented, including ‘King’s Cross Pond’ in London and ‘P.S.1’ in New York. The Director outlined a number of benefits which interventions would provide, namely to:
· improve connectivity across the city centre, driving footfall between and across the wider city centre area;
· raise awareness of vacant sites and opportunities for development;
· catalyse economic development options to support retail, leisure and tourism opportunities;
· create opportunities for existing residential communities to become engaged, increase perception of shared ownership of the city and identify potential job opportunities that may come forward as part of the interim uses;
· address a range of challenges from anti-social behaviour and perceived safety to unattractive and derelict spaces; and
· promote Belfast as a unique urban destination.
In response to a Member’s question regarding the Inner West, the Director confirmed that a long term plan was being put in place to address anti-social behaviour (ASB) and that, through engagement with traders in the area and in working on schemes with the Director of City and Neighbourhood Services and the Director of Development, it was expected that an increased footfall in the area would decrease ASB significantly.
In response to a further Member’s question about integrating the Titanic Quarter (TQ) into east Belfast, the Director confirmed that work was ongoing in this regard with a focus on creating better pedestrian connectivity between the TQ and the east of the City. She pointed out that animating the river to increase connectivity between the East Bank, the TQ and the city centre was part of the planned approach for this area.
After further discussion, the Committee:
1. agreed to further develop the approach to city animation;
2. agreed to a report being submitted to the December Committee meeting with selected areas for animation and costings for approval; and
3. agreed to invite representatives for the new Transport Hub to present to a future meeting.