Examples of Comprehensive Development Schemes Belfast
In excess of 20 schemes have been promoted in Belfast since 1972. Older schemes include CastleCourt, Sandy Row, Woodstock/Ravenhill and Poleglass. Poleglass is Belfast Regeneration Office’s largest ever scheme and even after 25 years we are still heavily involved.
More recent schemes include:
Victoria Square was initially chosen by the Minister for Social Development in July 2000 as the site for a major redevelopment in the centre of Belfast following an assessment of four potential projects.
The Department officially adopted the Victoria Square Development Scheme in January 2003 and has worked closely with the developer AM to bring this privately funded £300 million investment to fruition.
The proposed development of Victoria Square will lead the way in making the regeneration of Belfast City Centre a reality, creating half a million square feet of prime retail space, including high quality department stores, together with apartments, offices, restaurants, leisure, civic and cultural facilities, open space and car parking.
The overall scale, concept, design and variety of the project will help strengthen the position of Belfast City Centre as a premier regional shopping destination, well placed to compete with other European cities, whilst also providing a high quality safe urban environment, equally attractive to investors, employees, residents and visitors.
The largest single investment of its kind ever made in Belfast, the Victoria Square Scheme is expected to provide 3,000 jobs during the three year construction period and another 3,000 permanent jobs, not all additional, in businesses in the Victoria Square Development when it opens.
The demolition of the existing buildings in Victoria Square commenced in early 2004 and construction will start once this phase has been completed.
The development will open its doors to business at Easter 2007.
The most current documentation relating to this scheme can be found in the online publications sections of this site.
The general Springfield Road area had suffered from economic and social decline over the 20 years up to 1990. It is a direct interface between Catholic and Protestant West Belfast and the scene of considerable civil unrest over many years.
It was in this climate that Government launched the Springvale Initiative, and following a period of intense community consultation, the Springvale Development Scheme was adopted in 1992. The Department of Environment acquired the land necessary to implement the Scheme and considerable progress has been made.
- Springvale Business Park has been developed and extended;
- NIHE development of over 200 houses is complete;
- State-of-the-art training facility, with over 250 places, is in full operation;
- Recreational facilities have been enhanced at Paisley Park; and
- Community Outreach Centre has been constructed and fully let.
The University of Ulster identified a large area of land as a potential site for a new University campus, however, the University withdrew from this proposal, impacting on the Department's remaining land in the area. A comprehensive review of the potential future use of the land is on going involving all the relevant stakeholders.
A number of smaller schemes involving housing and recreational activities are also being dealt with at present and it is hoped these will come to fruition in the near future.
The Duncairn Gardens Scheme involved the acquisition of an area of 6 hectares, clearance of over 300 properties and the construction of 140 houses for the families who wished to remain within the surrounding area. The site now accommodates North City Business Centre which consists of small business units, an advance factory developed by Invest Northern Ireland and occupied by Teletech, a telecommunications company, the Northern Ireland Council for Voluntary Action flagship centre and a small development of retail units and offices which is currently on the market for sale or letting.
Dereliction along Duncairn Gardens frontage prior to redevelopment
Duncairn Gardens frontage following physical regeneration
Another major development site at Edlingham Street and Adam Street has been sold and developed as a small business park incorporating eight retail/office units.
This comprehensive development scheme is now largely completed, although the Department has acquired other derelict land and is currently considering acquiring further derelict land and property within the development scheme area to remove existing dereliction and improve and enhance the physical environment.
The Alliance Scheme involved the acquisition and clearance of over 332 properties, many of them vacant and derelict. The main issues to be addressed by the Development Scheme were the continuing decline of the Alliance area, the derelict condition of the housing stock, poor physical environment, high unemployment and poor community infrastructure. 108 social dwellings have been constructed in partnership with the Northern Ireland Housing Executive and Fold Housing Association.
Derelict housing before redevelopment
New housing after redevelopment
The Department assembled, cleared and marketed other areas of land at Alliance Road/Berwick Road, Glenbryn Park and Alliance Drive that were zoned under the Development Scheme for private residential dwellings. To date, 34 dwellings at Alliance Road/Berwick Road, have been constructed, with a further 70 private residential dwellings to be built by private sector developers at Glenbryn Park and Alliance Drive during the incoming years.
It was recognised that there was a need to provide additional employment opportunities both within Alliance and North Belfast in general. Land at Ballysillan Leisure Centre was developed by the Department in partnership with Belfast City Council and a new Iceland supermarket was developed creating full time and part time jobs.
The Department also assembled and marketed land at Alliance Crescent for commercial development. This site was sold for the development of 6 business units with adjoining residential accommodation, with the first phase of this development nearing completion. It is proposed that the remaining land at Alliance Crescent will accommodate new offices, conference and training facilities for the NI Federation of Housing Associations.
Comprehensive Development Branch has been involved with the Shankill Road linear shopping route and adjacent lands since June 1980, when large areas of derelict buildings and land were transferred to the Department from NIHE following the success of the ‘Save the Shankill’ Campaign.
Over the past several years, successful developments include new shop units at Agnes Street, a drive-in Kentucky Fried Chicken outlet and conveyor belt car wash at Dover Street, private housing developments at Wilton Gardens, Tennent Street and Ambleside Street and the development of the Argyle Business Centre at North Howard Street. Land at North Howard Link has been acquired for the proposed phase two expansion of Argyle Business Centre which will see the construction of eight business units creating an additional 40,000 square feet of industrial space. This development has now received funding approval from DSD and IFI.
Environmental Improvements Schemes were completed at St Michael's Church, West Kirk Church, North Howard Street and Conway Street, along with the planting of hundreds of trees along the Shankill, Woodvale and Crumlin Roads. Comprehensive Development Branch has acquired and cleared the former Lawnbrook Mill site to provide development opportunities for private residential housing.
The branch continues to assist the improvement of the Shankill area through the identification, acquisition and redevelopment of derelict land and property.
Lands at Lanark Way were acquired by the Department in 1986, with the objective of creating a commercial/industrial buffer between Catholic and Protestant West Belfast.
The various development sites have been successfully marketed resulting in 46 private residential dwelling being constructed on lands at Mayo Link and Battenberg Street/Cupar Way along with 20 bungalows at Kirk Street in partnership with Filor Housing Association. A further 18 private residential dwellings are under construction on land at Centurion Street/Cupar Way.
Site at Mayo Link before development
Site at Mayo Link after development
Witness Plastic Products has refurbished the former Kimlin building with a new factory unit and warehouse under construction at Merkland Place. A new primary school is nearing completion on land at the junction with Springfield Road. This school will replace three older schools within the local area that are in poor condition. The large frontage site at Lanark Way has been advertised for development and a developer has been appointed to progress the construction of 9 ground floor commercial units with first and second floor office accommodation.
Other developments at Lanark Way include McCullough's Tyres, McDermott's builders supply depot, McCartney Plumbing repairs, a petrol filling station with supermarket and the relocation of Crumlin YOP workshops.
In-filled lands at Belfast North Foreshore were acquired by way of a vesting order. The site measuring over 330 acres has been zoned in the Belfast Harbour Local Plan, with 200 acres of the site identified for recreation, open space and conservation purposes, and the remaining 130 acres earmarked for commercial and industrial uses. 139 hectares of land has been transferred to Belfast City Council for development in consultation with DSD, with 78 hectares of mud flats and lagoons transferring to Environment and Heritage Service for conservation purposes.
Neighbourhood Renewal AreasComprehensive Development Branch is currently targeting dereliction in Neighbourhood Renewal Areas and City Centre Arterial Routes through the acquisition and redevelopment of underused or derelict land and property. A number of key strategic sites have been identified for attention and we are working closely with community and political representatives in the area to bring forward viable development schemes.
Schemes outside Belfast include Londonderry, Armagh, Carrickfergus and Lurgan.
Further information
Further information can be requested from:
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