Agenda item

            The Director of City Regeneration and Development presented a Review of the regeneration and development activity which had been undertaken in 2023 in relation to the Belfast City Centre Regeneration Tracker, which included the Role of the city centre and the Benefits of investment, together with its aligned to the eight core policies of the Belfast City Centre Regeneration and Investment Strategy (BCCRIS.

The Committee then considered the undernoted report:

“1.0      Purpose of Report/Summary of Main Issues

1.1       To provide Members with an update on the Belfast City Centre Regeneration Tracker which captures regeneration and development activity which took place in the City Centre during 2023, as aligned to the eight core policies of the Belfast City Centre Regeneration and Investment Strategy (BCCRIS).  The detail of this report will be provided by way of a presentation at Committee.

2.0       Recommendation

2.1       Members are asked to note that:

i)       An overview of regeneration and development activity which took place in Belfast City Centre and Titanic Quarter during 2023, as aligned to the eight core principles set out in the Belfast City Centre Regeneration and Investment Strategy, will be provided by way of a presentation to be made to this Committee on 10th April 2023. 

ii)     This will include identifying challenges and proposed next steps to help unlock the next stage of the delivery of the Regeneration & Investment Strategy priorities for discussion with Members.

4.0       Main Report

4.1       As members are aware the Belfast City Centre Regeneration and Investment Strategy (BCCRIS) sets out our collective ambition for the continued growth and regeneration of the city core and its surrounding areas for the period 2015 to 2030. It contains a road map of policies to guide city centre decision-making and key projects that translate those policies into action, aligned to our overarching ambitions outlined within the Belfast Agenda. BCCRIS seeks to address the universal elements of a thriving city centre as well as challenges and conditions that are unique to Belfast and is underpinned by the following eight core principles:

·        Increase the Employment Population;

·        Increase the Residential Population;

·        Manage the Retail Offer;

·        Maximise the Tourism Opportunity;

·        Create Regional Learning and Innovation Centres;

·        Create a Green, Walkable, Cyclable Centre;

·        Connect to the City Around, and

·        Shared space and social impact.

4.2       To facilitate the implementation of the eight policies for the city centre, BCCRIS identified a series of projects aimed at creating a liveable and economically thriving city, alongside,

            identifying the following five Special Action Areas:

·        Inner North

·        Inner West

·        North East Quarter

·        Transport Hub and South Centre

·        Oxford Street and the Eastern Bank

4.3       The city centre provides an important role for Belfast, the Council and the wider region given Belfast’s role as the regional driver and the critical role the city centre in particular plays in terms of employment, investment, tourism, education and a place to live and to visit. , The city centre makes up 2.6% of Belfast’s spatial area but represents the largest employment base employing over 86,000 workers across the various sectors, representing c37% of Belfast’s workforce. Approx 80% of the Councils income comes from the district rate, with the city centre accounting for 42% of Belfast’s non-domestic rates income equating to 27% of the Councils total rates income. The sectors contributing greatest to city centre rates are the office sector (60% of city centre non-domestic rate or 16% of Councils total rate income) and retail (22.5% of city centre non-domestic rate or 6% of Councils total rate income). From 2020/21 to 2022/23 the city centre non-domestic rate has increased year on year going from £42.19m to £46.52m over this 3-year period. 

4.4       The purpose of the Regeneration Tracker is to provide Members with an overview of regeneration and development activity which has taken place in Belfast City Centre and Titanic Quarter during 2023 (1st January – 31st December), aligned to the eight core policies outlined within the Belfast City Centre Regeneration and Investment Strategy. An overview of the Future City Centre Performance Dashboard will also be included, providing an overview of footfall, jobs, vacancy, and cleanliness and safety among other indicators to provide a health check overview of the performance of the city centre.

4.5       A number of the core principles and projects and developments identified within BCCRIS have progressed well since 2015 to date (and in particular during 2023 which will be the focus of the presentation to Committee).  This has included significant office development, hotel and tourism, purpose-built student accommodation and major developments identified in BCCRIS such as the relocation of the University Ulster, progression of the new Transport Hub and Weavers Cross development, progression of City Deal projects including the Belfast Stories tourist attraction, waterfront development etc.  Whilst retail across the UK has remained challenging previous reports to this Committee have shown that city centre ground floor vacancy levels have decreased 23% to 21% and there have been a number of new first to Belfast /first to market brands who have recently located in the city centre.  It is however recognised that challenges remain around city centre living, place-shaping and public realm, dereliction, and infrastructure investment.  As reported to CGR in February 2024 the lack of regeneration related funding for Belfast (and the wider region) as compared to other UK city regions has put Belfast at a distinct disadvantage in terms of city competitiveness and addressing issues of viability, place making and progressing development and regeneration including housing and increased city centre living.  As highlighted to Committee there are a number of funding streams available in other UK cities that have helped accelerate development inc the Brownfield Infrastructure and Land Fund, Future High Streets Fund, Transforming Cities Fund etc.  The experience from other cities has shown that these have been critical in order to realise the full regeneration potential of their city centres and to meet wider city region requirements.

4.6       Notwithstanding the lack of this external funding, the Regeneration Tracker presentation to be made to Committee will highlight positive development activity during the 2023 period across the private and public sectors.  In order to deliver the growth ambitions as set out in the Belfast Agenda to 2035 it has been estimated that this will require c £5.5bn investment and clearly the role of the private sector is critical in this.  The Regeneration Tracker details the extensive private sector development delivered in 2023 along with highlighting some of the projects where Belfast City Council are leading on the delivery of addressing some of our key sectors for growth.  This includes the Housing Led Regeneration Programme, the Bolder Vision, Strategic Property Acquisitions, Belfast Region City Deal Projects inc Belfast Stories, Cathedral Gardens redevelopment, 2 Royal Avenue, potential acquisition /vesting of the Tribeca site, the Vacant to Vibrant Programme, Belfast 2024 cultural activities etc.

4.7       An update on these various areas of work have been brought to both CGR and SP&R Committees.  In terms of city centre living specifically it is worth highlighting the update brought to the March CGR Committee in relation to the housing led regeneration programme.  This included an update on the Development Partner process where Members had been advised of the progress on the competitive dialogue process with 3 bidders for a significant multi-site, residential led mixed use regeneration development opportunity (c £630m GDV).  This followed the development of a number of Concept Regeneration Plans for Council and wider public and private sector lands and PADS for each of the cluster sites.  Members were also updated on the reframed Inner North West Development Brief which had been forwarded to Housing Associations, which had followed the previous pause at the request of Members and liaison with DfC as landowners and with NIHE.  An update was also provided in relation to the city-wide Strategic Site Assessments where planning appraisals and feasibility studies are underway and updates to be brought initially to the Area Working Groups from May onwards.   

4.8       It is worth highlighting that there are a significant number of consented residential units / schemes that have come through the planning system in the city centre particularly, and that many of these have not progressed for various reasons including issues around policy, viability, infrastructure etc, most of which are outside Council’s responsibility.  Notwithstanding this however it is worth noting that there are currently over 1,000 homes under construction across 6 city centre sites, and over 1,550 social homes under construction across the city.  As agreed by Members it is also intended to hold an All-Party Roundtable on Housing Regeneration to consider the various housing regeneration issues in more detail.  

4.9       The Regeneration Tracker will present an update on the progress of development and regeneration activity within the city centre in 2023 as well as identifying challenges and proposed next steps to unlocking the next stage of the delivery of the Regeneration & Investment Strategy for discussion with Members.

5.0       Financial and Resource Implications

            None associated with this report.

6.0       Equality or Good Relations Implications/

            Rural Needs Assessment

            None associated with this report.”

During discussion, the Director of City Regeneration and Development explained that a potential reiteration of the Vacant to Vibrant scheme to include upper floors in vacant building was being explored. She also highlighted that there were few vacancies of high-grade office space, however, there were challenges emerging with older office spaces in terms of potential new legislation relating to minimum EPC standards.

After discussion. the Committee noted the contents of the presentation and the overview of the regeneration and development activity which had taken place in Belfast City Centre and Titanic Quarter during 2023, as aligned to the eight core principles set out in the Belfast City Centre Regeneration and Investment Strategy, in particular, the challenges and proposed next steps to help unlock the next stage of the delivery of the Regeneration and Investment Strategy priorities.

(Councillor McDowell in the Chair)