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Date: 15 Jan 2025
Ambitious plans for a giant-themed urban adventure park and nature sanctuary have been announced as part of a landmark public-private sector venture.
The Giant’s Park development will transform a 250-acre former landfill site on Dargan Road in north Belfast and create over 1,000 permanent jobs when completed.
The initial phase of the project will see a 160-acre portion of the site transformed into a new adventure park, with construction potentially getting underway as early as winter 2025, subject to planning permission being granted.
Plans for mixed use, distribution and logistics hubs and other commercial zones on the remaining 90 acres of the site are currently being finalised.
The adventure park plans have been revealed following the signing of a development agreement between landowner Belfast City Council and developer Giant’s Park Belfast Limited.
Lord Mayor Councillor Micky Murray said: “The Giant’s Park announcement is a huge boost for Belfast given the scale of the investment involved and the number of jobs that will be created, both during construction and upon completion.
“The project also represents a major boost to our tourism industry which is now contributing greater economic benefit to the city than in pre-Covid times. It will play a significant role in helping the industry achieve its ambitious growth targets in the years ahead.
“The plans are giant in scale and reflect the council’s economic, social and environmental ambitions for the land, which is the largest development site in the city. Alongside Belfast Harbour’s two film studios, the Belfast Region City Deal ‘Studio Ulster’ facility and other developments being delivered by partners on the council-owned site, the overall investment will be transformative for north Belfast.”
Kevin McKay, Chief Executive of Giant’s Park Belfast Limited said: “For the first time in over 60 years Belfast will see the return of public access to its coastal environment with the regeneration of the north foreshore of the city, and the creation of a unique Adventure Park sitting alongside a designated area of ecological importance near the shoreline where community, educational facilities and more adventure experiences are planned.
“The shoreline provides a natural and rich haven where large colonies of a variety of birds and other wildlife thrive. It has become quite rich in species diversity over the last 10 years or so creating a natural haven and feeding place for a large variety of birds and other wildlife.
“We have been working collaboratively on the design details balancing the requirement of the outdoor nature park while ensuring the careful management of the surrounding ecological environment.”
Work is expected to begin on the adventure park on completion of the planning process, with the first phase estimated to have a two-year build programme.