Belfast City Council Urge You To Help Shape The City

How do you want to see your city grow? That’s the question being asked this morning at City Hall as a major consultation is launched on how the development of the city will be planned to 2035.



It’s Belfast City Council’s first step in creating the Local Development Plan (LDP) which will guide investment and set out a framework for the use and protection of land across the city. And once adopted, the LDP will be used to guide and improve decision making on planning applications.



By complementing the Belfast Agenda, the city’s first community plan which outlines priority actions and programmes to ensure Belfast’s success, the LDP will help determine where development and infrastructure proposals will be located and which areas will be protected.



Councillor Peter Johnston, Chair of Belfast City Council’s Planning Committee said: “It’s absolutely critical that we plan for and stimulate Belfast’s growth. Our Local Development Plan will have an impact on everyone who lives in, works in and visits Belfast, because it will shape how Northern Ireland’s capital city grows and becomes more competitive in the future.



“We want to identify enough space to support the creation of up to 46,000 new jobs, allocate land for 37,000 high quality new homes and increase Belfast’s population to over 400,000 by 2035.”



“It’s vital that we get people’s views on what sort of a city centre they want, where new homes should be built and new jobs located – and on how, together, we can make Belfast a more shared, connected and sustainable city where people love to live, work and visit.”



The LDP’s vision is to promote development which enhances communities’ health and wellbeing, creates a more vibrant economy, improves connectivity, responds to environmental challenges and both protects and makes it easier for us to enjoy our natural settings and green space. It also seeks to ensure that we pursue high quality design in new developments, protect and enhance our built heritage, promote vibrant local neighbourhoods and make the most of our city’s unique assets.



A number of information sessions have been scheduled to allow people to give their views on both the Belfast Agenda and the Local Development Plan.



30 January 2pm-4pm

Girdwood Community Hub, 10 Girdwood Avenue



2 February 6.30pm-8.30pm

Olympia, Boucher Road



9 February 6.30pm-8.30pm

Skainos Centre, 241 Newtownards Road



13 February 2pm-4pm

Innovation Factory, Forthriver Business Park, Springfield Road



To register for one of the sessions, e-mail yourvoice@belfastcity.gov.uk



For more information, visit www.belfastcity.gov.uk/LDP The consultation on the Preferred Options Paper is open until 5pm on Thursday, 20 April and online responses can be made at yoursay.belfastcity.gov.uk.



Photo Caption: (L-R) Phil Williams, Director of Planning and Place, Belfast City Council, Suzanne Wylie, Chief Executive Belfast City Council and Cllr Peter Johnston, Chair of Belfast City Council’s Planning Committee pictured at the launch of a major public consultation on how Belfast’s development will be planned to 2035.



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