Belfast Leaders Head to Westminster to Secure Vital City Investment

Belfast's future received a significant boost this week as Lord Mayor, Councillor Róis-Máire Donnelly, led a cross-party delegation to Westminster. Their mission was clear: to champion a new, transformative 'Belfast Place-Based Growth Fund' ahead of the Chancellor’s Budget Statement in November.

This proposed fund is designed to unlock Belfast’s considerable potential by addressing historic barriers to development. If secured, it would enable our city to fulfil its vital role as Northern Ireland's primary economic engine and a key contributor to the wider UK economy.

The delegation, coordinated by the Lord Mayor and Chief Executive John Walsh, also included invaluable input from all four Belfast MPs: Gavin Robinson, John Finucane, Claire Hanna, and Paul Maskey.

Through a strategic combination of housing-led and mixed-use regeneration, targeted infrastructure investment, and support for innovative development projects, the fund would open up underutilised land across the city. This would attract crucial private investment and create the ideal conditions for sustained, inclusive economic growth that benefits everyone. The leaders emphasised how this investment would build upon existing successes from the Belfast Region City Deal, maximising their impact and long-term value.

Councillor Donnelly highlighted the urgency of the matter, stating, “Belfast has so much potential to unlock, but we continue to experience substantial infrastructure and regeneration deficits. Historic under-investment, challenges with land assembly, infrastructure limitations, and development viability gaps have slowed progress. These issues limit our ability to compete globally and drive growth for our city and the wider region.”

She continued, “Our city presents a compelling investment opportunity. Just look at our talent and the strengths we’re boosting through the Belfast Region City Deal in areas like FinTech, life and health sciences, advanced manufacturing, and the creative industries. Our plans for housing-led and mixed-use regeneration, including increasing city centre living, further demonstrate our ambition. Investing in Belfast through this transformative fund simply makes sound business sense – we’re uniquely positioned and ready to deliver.”

The 'Belfast Place-Based Growth Fund' is specifically focused on opportunities that will benefit both the city and the whole of Northern Ireland. With strong support from all political parties, city leaders are seeking targeted investment, comparable to funding available in other UK cities, to better equip Belfast to drive growth for our entire region. This initiative has been shaped by extensive engagement with various local stakeholders and aligns perfectly with the recent Belfast City Centre Regeneration & Investment Strategy Stocktake findings, as well as the objectives outlined in The Belfast Agenda – our city’s community plan.