Agenda item

            The Committee was reminded that, in August 2018, the Council had commissioned a Strategic Sites Assessment in order to assess the regeneration potential of its fifteen publicly operated car parks within the City centre, as well as adjoining publicly owned land.

            The Acting Director of City Regeneration and Development submitted for the Committee’s consideration a report which provided an update on the findings of Phase 1 of the assessment and their context in terms of wider City regeneration. The report gave consideration also to further work to be undertaken to progress the three priority cluster sites, namely, Inner North West, Clarendon and Ormeau Avenue in phases, along with other appropriate land holdings, and to deliver a comprehensive programme of mixed use regeneration.

            After a lengthy discussion, the Committee:

i.         noted the progress on Phase 1 of the Strategic Sites Assessment and the Member engagement to date;

ii.       agreed to receive at a future meeting a report on the potential to deliver a comprehensive programme of mixed used regeneration, with an overall predominance of residential use utilising these sites alongside commercial development to support job creation, to include the potential for working with adjacent landowners, funding options and potential for joint ventures;

iii.      agreed that the proposals for each of the SSA priority clusters should be progressed as follows:

(a)      carry out further engagement with the local communities and the Department for Communities prior to preparing recommendations for a route to delivery for the Inner North West Northern Cluster that is in accordance with the Inner North West Masterplan;

(b)      create a Development Framework for the Inner North West Southern Cluster showing desired uses and potential delivery arrangements, including the potential to re-imagine Smithfield Market;

(c)      create a Development Framework involving adjacent landholdings at the Dunbar Cluster;

(d)      agree that the Strategic Policy and Resources Committee should consider the feasibility of taking ownership of the Department of Finance’s Corporation Street site, taking into account the capital requirements to acquire the land, including the potential for land swaps with the Department of Finance;

(e)      prepare an outline planning application for the Ormeau Avenue site and undertake further engagement with surrounding communities regarding potential mix and tenure of the site;

iv.      agreed that the Council site at Gloucester Street should be considered as part of the strategic site delivery programme;

v.       agreed to the inclusion of the Council’s Hope Street Car Park and Whitla Street Car Park within the planning and master planning considerations for Weavers Cross regeneration project and the Yorkgate Train Station Project respectively;

vi.      agreed to complete a traffic modelling assessment of the road infrastructure surrounding Ravenhill Rest Gardens and to explore potential development opportunities through junction realignment;

vii.    noted that work had been carried out through the Belfast  Agenda to quantify the demand for residential growth in Belfast, and that the Council and DfC were currently jointly undertaking further work to understand the residential market;

viii.   noted that work was ongoing to establish the impact that the above developments will have on car parking in the city centre, both from a revenue generation perspective and loss of space, along with any mitigation plans;

ix.      noted that a draft Development Framework for each cluster would be presented to the Committee for approval, which would include proposals on mixed tenure, in line with the emerging policies within the Local Development Plan Draft Plan Strategy; and

x.       noted that the Strategic Policy and Resources Committee would have the final decision-making responsibility for acquisition or disposal of assets, along with any joint venture proposals.