Our services
Delivering high quality, effective and efficient services that meet your needs is at the heart of everything we do. We will continually strive to invest in improving our services and facilities to ensure they meet the expectations of our services users and improve the lives of the people of Belfast. Some of the key services we delivered in 2023-2024 and will continue to deliver over the course of this corporate plan are listed. For a full list of all our services, go to A to Z services.
Our people and communities
Twenty major projects were completed including:
- restoration and expansion of Templemore Baths and upgrades at Belfast Zoo
- upgrades to Sally Gardens, Areema Drive, Cavehill and Loughside play parks
- thousands of people were supported through our £1 million hardship programme in response to the cost-of-living crisis
- 3,483 housing, 2,336 food safety and 703 health and safety inspections were carried out
- 1,530 daytime and 3,767 night-time noise requests were responded to
- 1,142 burials and 3,261 cremations were carried out.
- 3,987 births, 3,294 deaths, 1,500 marriages and 20 civil partnerships were registered
- summer schemes were delivered at 30 community and play centres to 989 children
- 12km walking and cycling path completed as part of Forth Meadow Community Greenway
- 23,700 health and fitness members used our gyms, pools, fitness studios and courts
- 1,000 people (approximately) benefited from the Healthwise programme
Our planet
- 200 of our larger vehicles (comprising 90 per cent of our fleet fuel consumption) were switched to Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO) reducing carbon monoxide and nitrogen oxide emissions by 25 per cent
- nine faster (50kW+) chargers for electric vehicles were installed at leisure centres
- proportion of all waste sent to landfill was 29 per cent
- household reuse, recycling and composting rate was 41 per cent
- 10.5 million bins (including Bryson collections) and 70,000 bulky waste items were collected
- 116 community clean-ups involving 1,591 volunteers were facilitated
- 884 fixed penalty notices for littering were issued
- 17,941 trees were planted - a total of 110,254 since 2021
- 58,500 (approximately) tonnes of waste was recycled, reused and composted
- 19,000 young people attended 258 school visits and 447 litter workshops
Our economy
- 688 individuals were engaged in business start-up activities
- 263 business plans were developed, supporting the creation of 233 jobs through our support for business start-ups
- 57 organisations were supported to start a social economy or co-operative business
- 348 existing businesses were supported with business growth activity
- 222 people were supported to achieve vocationally-specific, level 3 to 5 qualifications
- 900 people were supported through Gateway to Choices (G2C) to access training and employment
- 850 people attended our Belfast Jobsfair
- 238 young people benefited from our GCSE Support Programme
- 1,759 individuals were engaged through enterprise-awareness activity
- there were 816 participants on our Employment and Upskilling Academies, with 87 per cent progressing into work or gaining a better job
Our place
- 27 major and 1,300 local planning applications were determined
- 179 dangerous structures dealt with
- 435 entertainment licensing applications were processed and we undertook 829 inspections
- 6,143 building regulations applications were processed and 15,026 inspections undertaken
- St Patrick’s Day music weekend events attracted 30,000 people
- Maritime Festival attracted 80,000 people
- 213,000 visitors were welcomed to Belfast Zoo
- 310,500 visitors were welcomed to City Hall exhibition and guided tours
- over 234,000 visitors were welcomed and 808 events held at 2 Royal Avenue
- six new Belfast Bikes stations and six active travel cycle stands were installed
- 112,000 journeys were taken on Belfast Bikes
- Brown’s Bridge on the Lagan Towpath was installed
- funding support for over 100 cultural organisations annually
- 1,600 new homes were approved
- Belfast 2024 - an ambitious cultural celebration for our city - was launched
- over one million visitors were welcomed to St George’s Market
