Report Shows Progress On Development Of Belfast

Significant progress has been made on long term ambitions for Belfast including job creation, inward investment and investment in neighbourhoods, a new report has revealed.

Belfast City Council has published its first Statement of Progress two years after setting targets of creating 46,000 new jobs and attracting 66,000 additional residents by 2035.

Updates are included on more than 25 key targets for priority areas relating to economic development, making life better for residents, competitiveness, sustainability, education and skills development.

Alderman Brian Kingston, chair of Belfast City Council's Strategic Policy and Resource Committee, said the statement highlights just how far the city has come.

"The report reveals that £775 million has been invested in our neighbourhoods, the private sector has invested £730 million in the city, and we have secured an additional £850 million Belfast Region City Deal since 2017," Cllr Kingston commented.

"In that same period, 5,855 jobs were created, Belfast has added 830,000 square feet of new Grade A office space, the tourism sector has benefited from an additional 3,000 hotel beds, the proportion of waste going to landfill has reduced from 42 per cent to 36 per cent, and sustainable transport has increased by six per cent to 41 per cent of all journeys in Belfast.

"In 2017 Belfast's community planning partners agreed a shared vision for Belfast in 2035 in the Belfast Agenda. It was for Belfast to become a city reimagined and resurgent; a great place to live and work for everyone. And while there is more to do, we’re certainly making great strides.

"Collectively as a city we are committed to ensuring that no one is left behind as the city progresses, so inclusive growth principles underpin everything we do. The Statement of Progress highlights that since 2017, 9,300 residents were supported through employability and skills programmes and there has been significant investment in health improvement initiatives."