Ambitious targets for Belfast include 150,000 new trees, 6,000 new homes and 7,000 new business start-ups by 2028

Date: 20 Mar 2024

Plans to support the most vulnerable in Belfast while growing the economy, regenerating neighbourhoods and achieving climate targets have been published in a refreshed strategic plan for the city.

The Belfast Agenda was first published in 2017, setting out a joint vision for the city up to 2035. With significant economic, social and environmental changes in recent years, it has been reviewed and updated to reflect current priorities.

City partners have agreed to deliver a significant programme of actions by 2028 which will include building 6,000 new homes, planting 150,000 trees, reducing chronic homelessness, increasing the number of business start-ups by 20 percent and reducing the economic inactivity rate by five percent each year.

Belfast Lord Mayor Councillor Ryan Murphy said: “Since we first published the original Belfast Agenda seven years ago, there have been seismic changes both economically and politically as a result of Brexit, the global impacts of Covid-19, austerity measures, societal changes and the ongoing climate emergency.

“While our vision for Belfast and its people hasn’t changed, when we began the process of reviewing the Belfast Agenda it was clear that city partners and the public had new priorities, so we needed to rethink our approach, re-evaluate how we utilise our resources and establish ambitious new targets.

“Developing the Belfast Agenda is a complex process as it involves numerous community planning partners, the community and voluntary sector, educational institutions and representatives from the private sector. Today therefore marks a major milestone for the city as we move forward together with a comprehensive strategic plan which aims to ensure that Belfast will become the city that we want it to be.”

Statutory and community partners involved in co-designing the Belfast Agenda include Belfast City Council, Belfast Health and Social Care Trust, Council for Catholic Maintained Schools, Education Authority, Invest NI, Libraries NI, Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service, Northern Ireland Housing Executive, Police Service of Northern Ireland, Public Health Agency, South Eastern Health and Social Care Trust, Sport NI, Tourism NI, Belfast Area Partnership Boards and the Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise Sectoral Advisory Panel.

For more information visit www.belfastcity.gov.uk/belfastagenda

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