Lord Mayor announces additional Belfast regeneration plans

With more than £60 million currently being invested in Belfast’s arterial routes, the Lord Mayor of Belfast, Councillor Tom Ekin, today announced details of the second phase of a major regeneration programme.

‘Renewing The Routes’ is a new partnership initiative, involving Belfast City Council, the Northern Ireland Housing Executive, Belfast Regeneration Office and the five Belfast Area Partnership Boards, which aims, through integrated development plans, to enhance the physical appearance of key routes into the city.

Work has already started on six key arterial routes in north, south, east and west Belfast, and five more areas have been earmarked for development.

Launching the second phase of the programme at the City Hall this morning, the Lord Mayor said that the scheme was already having a real impact on the communities involved.

“Together with our statutory partners and local representatives, we have agreed the strategic framework for the development of these areas, and we now are working to ensure that the wish list becomes an action list and that the lives of those living in the areas are positively affected by the developments,” the Lord Mayor said.

To date, activity has focused on six areas:

• York Road, from North Queen Street to Whitla Street, where the centrepiece development will be a new a Wellbeing Centre, incorporating leisure, health and lifestyle facilities.
• Antrim Road, from Carlisle Circus to Duncairn Avenue, which includes the building of new social housing.
• Donegall Road, running from Roden Street to the Broadway roundabout, where plans include new social economy units.
• Newtownards Road, from the junction with the Bridge End flyover towards East Belfast Enterprise Park, and including the development of a community business hub.
• Falls Road, running from Dunville Park to Divis Street, where shop fronts are being enhanced as part of the wider programme.
• Shankill Road, from Townsend Street to Agnes Street, where projects will include the restructuring of current leisure provision to create a ‘hub’ for health and leisure facilities in the area.

“When you put all of these schemes together, and count up the cost of all the work being done by the Council and the other agencies, you are looking at an overall investment of more than £60 million,” the Lord Mayor said.

Councillor Ian Crozier, Chairman of Belfast City Council’s Development Committee, said that the programme offered communities a unique opportunity to develop targeted initiatives responding directly to local need.

“The statutory partners are coming together under a single umbrella with a view to implementing targeted, area-based regeneration initiatives in those parts of the city in most need of support," Councillor Crozier said. "This is good news for the communities in these areas and we encourage them to work with us to create a brighter, better Belfast."

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