Her vision is to create a vibrant city centre district that connects West Belfast to the main shopping area and central business district.
It will include a new street between Fountain Lane and Chapel Lane, linking Donegal Place with Castlecourt. A new city centre square, ‘Fountain Square’ is also being proposed.
The Minister also announced a £5million commitment to redevelop Bank Square.
Margaret Ritchie said: “My vision for the Westside is to create a vibrant city centre district that connects West Belfast to the main shopping area and the central business district. The Westside regeneration proposals are innovative, radical and achievable, fully in line with my Department’s Regeneration Policy for Belfast City Centre.
My proposals build on the area’s existing strengths-well established independent traders, a strong unique historic character and preservation of the historic street pattern. I am promoting new sustainable development, sensitive to the area, with active ground-level street frontages and an open network of streets and squares."
Emphasising her commitment to Bank Square and the importance of creating attractive streets, the Minister said:
“I am announcing a further £5million funding to redevelop Bank Square as a priority initiative to be completed by 2010. This is a key site which has potential to provide an attractive and vibrant city square in the heart of the Westside."
The Westside regeneration plan proposes two key objectives:
Firstly, to revitalise the “core” of the area by creating a new street between Fountain Lane and Chapel Lane to link the prime retail pitch of Donegall Place with Castlecourt. Within this new street a new city centre square, to be called ‘Fountain Square’, is proposed. This ambitious development would significantly increase the numbers of shoppers and visitors into the area boosting tourism, economic development and the evening economy.
The second key objective is to strengthen the existing businesses trading in the area by further integrating Greater Castle Street with the west of the City on one side and through to Donegall Place on the other side. This will be done by creating ‘Fountain Square’ along with an improved attractive streetscape. In addition, several sites are identified which could be brought forward in separate phases to improve linkages to neighbouring areas.
Margaret Ritchie gave a commitment aimed to support the existing traders to better serve the market. This will be done through the ‘reStore’ pilot programme with the Greater Castle Street pilot beginning in September 2008. Essentially this will provide financial support to business to develop a unique brand for the Westside, promoting the area as a destination for shoppers and visitors and improving the attractiveness of shop frontages.
Margaret Ritchie also emphasised her commitment to her New Housing agenda by including 322 residential units in the masterplan. Twenty per cent of these will be for affordable housing.
Public consultation on the masterplan closes on 30 September and DSD will move quickly to adopt the final plan by early next year.
Notes to Editors:
1. The area covered by the draft masterplan is the South West Quarter of Belfast City Centre which broadly follows the Prime Retail Core set out in the Draft Belfast Metropolitan Area Plan.
2. The draft regeneration masterplan has the potential to deliver clear benefits, including an estimated:
Complete implementation of the plan will provide an estimated:
- 322 residential units including 20% for affordable housing;
- 22, 928 sq m of floorspace for retail, café and restaurant use;
- 23,803 sq m of floorspace for offices;
- 280 additional hotel rooms; and,
- 2,416 jobs.
3. The consultation period on the Draft Regeneration Framework will run until 30 September 2008.
4. The ‘reStore’ pilot will broadly mirror the ‘reStore DC’ programme which supports the revitalisation of Washington DC’s neighbourhood commercial districts and small businesses by:
- providing technical and funding assistance in targeted neighbourhoods to retain DC businesses, design and improve storefronts and streetscapes, and promote DC’s business neighbourhood districts; and
- building the capacity of neighbourhood non-profit organisations to assist businesses and coordinate sustainable community-driven revitalisation efforts.
DSD is aiming to roll out a pilot version of the programme between September 2008 and March 2009 for the Greater Castle Street area and in up to six other urban centres across Northern Ireland to be identified as part of the development work on the pilot programme.
5. Implementation of the Masterplan and reStore pilot is subject to economic appraisal, funding availability and satisfying all necessary statutory requirements including, in the case of the masterplan, general compliance with the NI Regional Development Strategy.
6. Media enquiries to DSD Information Office on 028 9082 9078. Out of office hours please contact the Duty Press Officer via pager number 07699 715 440 and your call will be returned
