Belfast City Council update on Belfast Region City Deal progress

An article on Belfast City Council’s website has indicated that Belfast City Council has agreed further work plans on the Belfast Region City Deal at its monthly meeting on Monday, 2nd July.

City Deals are bespoke packages of funding for large projects to boost the economy and create better jobs, but that require funding from Westminster, the Department of Finance as well as Local Authorities.  The Belfast Region City Deal offers a once in a generation opportunity for the six local authority areas involved.

Belfast City Council is working in close collaboration with the five local authority partners – Antrim and Newtownabbey, Ards and North Down, Lisburn and Castlereagh, Mid and East Antrim and Newry, Mourne and Down as well as the Northern Ireland Civil Service, Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government and the Treasury to agree the priority projects.  It is intended that these priority projects would be finalised over the summer months.

BCC has also engaged with politicians, business leaders, universities and colleges to complete an analysis of the competitive strengths, economic challenges and our most pressing needs that will shape the four pillars of the proposition.  Thos four pillars are Employability and Skills, Innovation/Digital, Infrastructure and Tourism.

BCC has stated that it is also supportive of a deal for Derry~Londonderry and would like to see money invested in visitor attractions, regeneration, public transport, infrastructure, digital connectivity, research and innovation centres and skills development.

More information and details can be found on Belfast City Council’s website: www.belfastcity.gov.uk/belfastregioncitydeal