Agenda item

            The Committee considered the undernoted report:

 

“1.0     Purpose of Report or Summary of main Issues

 

1.1       The purpose of this report is to update Members on the ongoing Inner North West masterplan consultation and highlight the relationship to other workstreams including the Car Parking Strategy, Local Development Plan and City Centre Living.

 

2.0       Recommendations

 

2.1       Members are asked to:

 

-       note the consultation process for the draft Inner North West masterplan that is currently underway and will conclude on 8 May 2018;

-       note the relationship between the INW and other work underway across the council and also with partners.

 

 

3.0       Main report

 

3.1       Background

 

            Members are aware that the consultation for the Inner North West (INW) masterplan commenced on 13 February 2018 and will run until 8 May 2018. As outlined previously to committee, the Masterplan seeks to provide a framework to help shape emerging opportunities and ensure a more comprehensive approach to development on both public and private sector owned land.  The Inner North West Masterplan is underpinned by robust urban design principles that will help shape proposals coming forward.

 

3.2       The INW Masterplan seeks to facilitate a new city centre mixed neighbourhood that:

 

·        incorporates a mix of uses, including residential, commercial, retail and leisure, all integrated through a strong and cohesive public realm;

·        takes into consideration the heritage of the area and the historic urban grain;

·        reinstates the historically vibrant economy of the Inner North West area;

·        promotes ‘city centre living’, with its social and environmental benefits;

·        strengthens the city centre’s urban fabric and streetscapes;

·        supports and strengthens pedestrian connections within the city centre and to/from adjoining neighbourhoods;

·        delivers the ambitions of the Belfast Agenda, in line with the Local Development Plan

 

3.3       Engagement to date

 

            Targeted pre-consultation work in September 2017 and the workshop with Members in November 2017 informed both the final consultation document and council’s approach to engagement. During the current formal 12-week consultation period council is seeking to engage with a diverse range of stakeholders in this area of the city, including residents, businesses, statutory partners and developers.  

 

3.4       A focus on engaging with existing residents in the INW is an important feature of this consultation. Letters have been sent to each household advising them of the consultation, and residents were invited to participate on a walk-about of the masterplan area.  The consultation drop-in venues are located across the INW area to further encourage participation from local residents.

 

3.5       The scheduled consultation activities are as follows:

 

·        Drop-in session in Smithfield Market,14 February

·        Drop- in session in Smithfield Market, 15 February

·        Drop-in session in Berry St Presbyterian Church with evening presentation, 21 February

·        Presentation to the Section 75 Consultative Forum, 27 February

·        Drop-in session in CastleCourt, 27 February

·        Presentation to the Campus Community Regeneration Forum, 27 February

·        Drop-in session in St Patrick’s Church, 7 March

·        Drop-in session St Patrick’s Church, 10 March

·        Meeting with Ulster Reform Club, 15 March

·        Residents’ walk-about, 21 March

·        Presentation to Shared City Partnership, 9 April

·        Presentation to the West Belfast Partnership, 13 April

·        Drop-in session in Central Library, 17 April

·        Drop-in session in Central Library, 25 April

·        Drop-in session in Central Library, 3 May

 

3.6       Exhibition boards summarising the masterplan are on display in the Cecil Ward Building until 13 April and will move to the Central Library from 16 April-8 May 2018.

 

3.7       Key communication channels are through letters, drop-in sessions, City Matters, the BCC website and council’s online Consultation Hub, Twitter and Facebook pages and external press. All information is available on: https://yoursay.belfastcity.gov.uk/. 

 

3.8       Statutory partners

 

            Engagement with statutory partners continues and includes the Department for Communities, Department for Infrastructure, Translink and the Historic Environment Division; all have had opportunities to comment on the draft plan. Feedback has also been received from council departments, and there is ongoing work to explore the potential to develop the council’s assets to support wider regeneration.

 

 

3.9       Emerging themes

 

            Notwithstanding the ongoing consultation for the INW, feedback from the recent events indicates general support for the regeneration of the INW area and the draft proposals.

 

3.10     Whilst not a comprehensive assessment of feedback to date, so far there have been expressions of support for:

 

·        Increasing the city centre population via shared, mixed-tenure housing;

·        Reuse of existing heritage buildings, including for residential use;

·        Different housing typologies and sizes to accommodate a range of needs, including families and elderly residents;

·        Creation of more open space, especially green space with seating;

·        Maintaining a market function but improving or redeveloping Smithfield Market;

·        Improving connections through the area, particularly through CastleCourt and Berry Street and to adjacent city centre neighbourhoods;

·        Protecting and enhancing the built heritage.

 

3.11     Concerns have been raised during the consultation in relation to:

 

·        Potential building heights and the prospect of tall buildings in the future;

·        The lack of outdoor play space currently, and the need for ‘social infrastructure’ around education, health etc to support growing numbers of residents;

·        Concern that the masterplan could bring blight, or lead to vesting;

·        The possible redevelopment of Smithfield Market, and the impact on local traders;

·        The need for effective management of existing and new public spaces, particularly the likes of Bank Square where there are issues around access, servicing, waste collection, and parking;

·        General concerns over anti-social behaviour;

·        The need for public spaces to be fully accessible;

·        A perceived surplus of student accommodation.

 

 

3.12     Consultation period and next steps

 

            Following the consultation period, the responses will be assessed and changes to the draft masterplan considered. A full Strategic Environmental Assessment and a Habitats Regulation Assessment are also underway and will inform the final plan, which will come back to the committee for approval in the autumn. Additionally, and in parallel, the development of land in public ownership is currently being discussed with DfC, and there are ongoing meetings with private developers as part of this consultation process.

 

3.13     Car Parking Strategy (CPS)

 

            Members will recall that Aecom was appointed in October 2015 to carry out the Car Park Strategy (CPS) & Action Plan and a project steering group comprising Council officers (LDP, C&NS, CCDT, Economic Development, Estates, Legal, Finance, Communications) and DfI representatives was established.

 

3.14     In November 2017, Council ratified the CPS and in December 2017 it was agreed that the CPS Action Plan would transfer to the City Centre Development Team (CCDT) to bring forward. As part of the CPS Action Plan sites in the INW will be reviewed and we are working closely with DfC in relation to their landholdings, as well as with DfI with regard to all elements of the CPS Action Plan.  Committee will be updated on progress in due course.

 

3.15     Local Development Plan

 

            The INW is in line with the emerging polices in the Local Development Plan (LDP) draft Plan Strategy that support population growth, sustainable development and the city’s ambitions in relation to the inclusive growth agenda. In particular, within the emerging draft Plan Strategy in the LDP there are a number of new policy requirements that are already incorporated within the draft INW Masterplan, for example around the need to deliver mixed-use development and mixed-tenure housing. The masterplan and emerging LDP are also both promoting well-connected and attractive communities, high-quality design and protection of built heritage. It is the intention that the INW Masterplan and its key design principles will be incorporated into the LDP at an appropriate date in the future.

 

 

3.16     City Centre Living

 

            In January, Members received an update on the ‘City Centre Living’ workstream.  This developed from a previous Council motion, Members’ study visit to London in October, and the subsequent workshop. Officers continue to engage with DfC and NIHE on City Centre Living and this will be progressed alongside the development of the INW Masterplan and delivery of the Car Park Strategy.

 

3.17     Equality and good relations Implications

 

            An EQIA Screening was undertaken for the Inner North West Masterplan and is part of the consultation.

 

3.18     Finance and Resource Implications

 

            Resource requirements will be met from existing departmental budget allocations.”

 

            The Committee adopted the recommendations.