Academy Street, Belfast

90 new homes and ground floor retail, within a 16 storey building; the first Build-to-Rent scheme in Northern Ireland

Our role 

  • We engaged with Belfast City Council to advocate the benefits of Build-to-Rent (BTR) and to work through its specific planning requirements, supporting the council’s ambitions to expand city centre living.
  • We advocated a tall building within the context of designated heritage assets.
  • We negotiated a ground-breaking car-free scheme. This was accepted by the city council and DfI roads, on the basis of site accessibility and the target demographic of prospective residents.

Results

  • We secured committee approval for this ground-breaking scheme in the Cathedral Quarter of the city.
  • By quantifying the economic benefits of construction and occupation, we also demonstrated wider benefits of the proposals.
  • This marks an important milestone which will underpin expansion of BTR in Belfast.

Image courtesy of Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios