Regional Policy Context

The RDS provides a number of Strategic Planning Guidelines and measures for office development within Northern Ireland which are as follows:

• foster development which contributes to better community relations,
   recognises cultural diversity, and reduces socio-economic differentials
   within Northern Ireland (SPG-SRC 3) by:

− revitalising the role of town centres and other common
   locations well served by public transport as focal points for
   shopping, services, employment, cultural and leisure
   activities for the whole community (SRC 3.2); and

− promoting the development of major employment/enterprise
   areas in locations which are accessible to all sections of the
   community (SRC 3.2).

• exploit the economic development potential of the key transport
  corridors (ECON 2) by:

− promoting and exploiting the potential for economic
   development at selected locations on the strategic network
   of key transport corridors and links (ECON 2.1); and

− facilitating the clustering of engineering and high technology
   type businesses in a number of locations including the
   centre of corridor towns, at established major business
   nodes within towns, or in ‘industrial office park’
   developments at the edge of towns, normally as part of
   mixed use schemes, with preferred locations at road or rail
   nodes, and transport interchanges (ECON 2.1).

The RDS also sets out a spatial framework for future growth of the BMA that
includes strategic guidance on the location of office development:

• create a thriving Metropolitan Area centred on a revitalised city of
  Belfast (SPG-BMA 1) by:

− enhancing the role of the city of Belfast (BMA 1.1); and

− maintaining the role of Belfast City Centre as the primary
  office location in the region (BMA 1.1).

• promote a balanced spread of economic development opportunities
  across the region focused on the BMA and the urban hubs/clusters as
  the main centres for employment and services (SPG-ECON 1) by:

− supporting urban renaissance (ECON 1.3); and

− promoting town centres as the major locations and first
   choice for expanding service employment by focusing major
   office developments in central areas where they are
   accessible to all sections of the community (ECON 1.3).

The Office Study

In order to assist the Department in preparing the Plan, Colliers CRE were appointed
to review existing office stock within the Plan Area, to assess the current supply
and demand for office space, and to appraise existing planning policy for the
location of offices. The conclusions and recommendations of the Office Study are
as follows:

• growth in office floorspace is anticipated with forecast requirements of
  an additional 409,500 square metres for the period 1998-2015;

• given the changes in functions now taking place in office buildings,
  locational requirements will vary, and city and town centres cannot
  accommodate the needs of all office users;

• to give choice, a portfolio of office sites and premises therefore needs
  to be available within the BMA;

• office locations need to be sustainable and accessible by a choice of
  transport, particularly public transport;

• Belfast City Centre must remain the primary office location in Northern
  Ireland;

• office development should be encouraged in Lisburn City Centre and the
  town centres;

• limited office development should be permitted in Business Parks within
  Major Employment Locations (MELs) in order to offer choice and facilitate
  inward investment;

• such business park office development should be:

− masterplan led;

− of high quality;

− limited to specific use classification; and

− limited in scale in order to protect the role of Belfast City
   Centre.

• office development should be accepted at Titanic Quarter in order to act
  as a catalyst for redevelopment, but should be limited in scale in order to
  avoid detriment to Belfast City Centre;

• offices of up to 400 sq m gross floorspace should be permitted at
  designated nodal locations along Arterial Routes;

• offices of up to 200 sq m gross floorspace should be permitted
  elsewhere along Arterial Routes;

• an office policy should be introduced in order to designate areas where
  office use by educational establishments for example Queens University
  would be permitted in recognition of the importance of such facilities to
  the regional economy; and

• provision of office space must be monitored to maintain the balance
  between the role of Belfast City Centre and the business parks in MELs.

Recommendations put forward by the consultants have assisted the Department
in formulating appropriate office policies. Colliers CRE Retail Study is published as
the Offices Technical Supplement to the Plan.

BMA Office Strategy

The BMA Office Strategy comprises the following elements: promotion of the role of Belfast City Centre as the primary location for office development in Northern Ireland in order to reinforce the role of Belfast as a Regional City;   limited dispersal of major office development to Major Employment Locations at Global Point/Ballyhenry, Purdysburn, West Lisburn/Blaris and Titanic Quarter;   office development of an appropriate scale within Lisburn City Centre and the Town Centres of Bangor, Carrickfergus, Ballyclare, Carryduff, and Holywood, in order to protect and enhance their viality and viability, to assist urban renaissance and to provide jobs in local areas; and   office development of an appropriate scale within designated shopping/commercial areas on Arterial Routes at designated Commercial Nodes on Arterial Routes and in designated Local Centres (Dundonald, Dunmurry, Glengormley) in order to provide local services.

Between 1991 and 1998 growth in the service sectors⁹ which includes office employment resulted in the creation of 87,000 jobs in Northern Ireland. Expansion of the service sector led to an increase in office development within the BMA and in Belfast City Centre in particular. The major office study carried out in 1987 for the Belfast Urban Area Plan 2001 estimated that there was 400,000 sq m of office space within Belfast City Centre. The City Centre office stock was estimated at 503,000 sq m in 2002, an increase of over 20% in the 16-year period.

Economic scenarios undertaken by the Department of Employment and Learning
(DEL) conclude that service sector employment will continue to grow, providing
further demand for new office development.

The BMA Office Strategy is to promote a portfolio of sites and locations for office development throughout the BMA, so as to give choice and seek to ensure that the requirements of a range of office occupiers can be met. Belfast City Centre will continue to be promoted as the primary location for major office development within BMA and Northern Ireland. Outside Belfast City Centre, office development will, in general, be directed to designated commercial areas, in order to assist regeneration
of established foci of community life and to provide services and opportunities for
job creation in local areas. Lisburn City Centre and town centres will provide foci for office development, and limited dispersal of offices will be permitted on Belfast’s Arterial Routes and to local centres in suburban locations.

The Plan Proposals also provide flexibility to respond to new and emerging opportunities for office development. For some activities which take place in office-style buildings a city or town centre location is often not appropriate. The Plan Proposals seek to accommodate such developments by facilitating limited dispersal
of major office development to Major Employment Locations, in the form of business parks. The scale and nature of office development in MELs is controlled by setting a ceiling to permitted floorspace and by limiting the range of acceptable office uses in order to protect the primacy of Belfast City Centre.

The portfolio approach seeks to provide for the diverse requirements of a range of office users in order to ensure that opportunities for development for Belfast and Northern Ireland as a whole are not lost. The locations shown for office
development are sustainable and accessible by a choice of transport particularly
public transport.

⁹ Includes Market and Non-Market Services

Office Policies and Proposals

Policy OF 1 Belfast City Centre Main Office Area, Lisburn City Centre and other Town Centres

Planning permission will be granted for Office development in the designated Belfast City Centre Main Office Area, Lisburn City Centre and other Town Centres.

Within Belfast City Centre an Office Area is designated within which major office development will be located. Belfast City Centre lies at the heart of the Regional Strategic Transportation Network and the designation of the main Office Area will facilitate the creation of new employment opportunities in highly accessible
locations. In addition it will reinforce the role of Belfast City Centre as the primary location for future office development in Northern Ireland. In 2001, 86% of office floorspace in the Plan Area was located within Belfast City Council Area and 59% within Belfast City Centre.

Office development is promoted through the designation of Lisburn City Centre and
the Town Centres of Bangor, Carrickfergus, Ballyclare, Carryduff and Holywood as
main locations for expanding service employment within their respective Districts.
City and town centres lie at the heart of local transport networks, including public transport. Promotion of office development within these areas will support
sustainable development, assist urban renaissance and provide jobs in local areas, which are accessible to all sections of the community.

In the Town Centres of Ballyclare, Carryduff and Holywood office development will
be expected to be appropriate in size and in balance with other functions of the
town centre.

The concentration of offices in city and town centres will help maintain their
viability and vitality.

Details of the city and town centre designations and of the Belfast City Centre
Main Office Area are contained in the relevant District Proposals.

Policy OF 2 Office development of up to 400 sq m - Within Belfast City Centre (outside Belfast City Centre Main Office Area), Commercial Nodes and Local Centres

Planning permission will be granted for office development in the following locations: the remainder of the designated Belfast City Centre, outside the designated Main Office Area;   the designated commercial nodes on the designated Arterial Routes; and   the designated Local Centres of:     Dundonald;     Dunmurry; and     Glengormley provided that: proposals do not exceed 400 sq m gross floorspace; and   are served by individual own doors onto the public street.  Coalescence of individual offices into larger office blocks with internal accesses and exceeding 400 sq m gross floorspace will not be permitted.

Office development of up to a maximum of 400 sq m gross floorspace will be acceptable within Belfast City Centre outside the City Centre Main Office Area. This will facilitate expansion of the small office sector whose users prefer or need to be located close to major private or public sector offices.

A city or town centre location is not always a prime requirement for certain office users, in particular small scale firms serving local needs. The development of offices
of up to a maximum of 400 sq m gross floorspace within the designated commercial nodes on the Arterial Routes and the designated local centres (Dundonald,
Dunmurry, Glengormley) will facilitate such users.

The designated Arterial Routes in Belfast are the key access routes into the City Centre. Traditionally they have provided local retail, service, community and employment facilities for their local areas. The designated commercial nodes on
the Arterial Routes represent established foci of local community and commercial
life.

Small scale office development will facilitate the provision of local services in
locations which support established commercial centres and serve the local population, while protecting the primacy of Belfast City Centre.

The commercial nodes are designated at the following locations:

• York Road / Limestone Road Junction
• Antrim Road / Limestone Road Junction
• Antrim Road / Crumlin Road Junction (Carlisle Circus)
• Crumlin Road / Oldpark Road / Agnes Street Junction
• Crumlin Road / Woodvale Road Junction
• Shankill Road / Lanark Way Junction
• Shankill Road / Agnes Street / Northumberland Street Junction
• Falls Road / Springfield Road Junction
• Falls Road / Glen Road Junction
• Woodstock Road / Beersbridge Road Junction
• Albertbridge Road / Castlereagh Street Junction
• Castlereagh Road / Castlereagh Street / Beersbridge Road Junction
• Albertbridge Road / Newtownards Road / Holywood Road / Upper
   Newtownards Road Junction
• Holywood Road / Belmont Road Junction
• Upper Newtownards Road/Sandown Road Junction

The majority of Arterial Routes have been identified in BMTP as Quality Bus
Corridors, and will benefit from improvement in the quality of bus service, providing enhanced access for local communities to local services.

Office development up to a maximum of 400 sq m gross floorspace will be permitted within the designated local centres of Dundonald, Dunmurry and Glengormley.
These centres will benefit from further investment to sustain their roles in providing services to local communities.

Control of the size and scale of office development at these locations will ensure
that development is compatible to the character of the area and that the role of
the Belfast City Centre as the primary location for office development is maintained. Offices of up to 400 sq m gross floorspace will facilitate the changing requirements
of office occupiers, assist in urban regeneration and provide a range of local employment opportunities.

Details of the designations are contained in the relevant District Proposals.

Policy OF 3 Office development of up to 200 sq m - Shopping/Commercial Areas

Planning permission will be granted for office development within designated shopping/commercial areas on designated Arterial Routes provided all of the following criteria are met: the development does not exceed 200 sq m gross floorspace;   the office use falls within Use Class 2 of the Planning (Use Classes) Order (NI) 1989; and   the development is served by individual own doors onto the public street.  Coalescence of individual offices into larger office blocks with internal accesses and exceeding 200 sq m gross floorspace will not be permitted.

In order to ensure that the traditional function of local shopping areas on the designated Arterial Routes is maintained and enhanced, the Department will permit office development of up to a maximum of 200 sq m gross floorspace within the designated shopping/commercial areas along these routes into Belfast City Centre. Such small-scale office development will facilitate the provision of employment opportunities in accessible locations without detriment to the City Centre.

Acceptable office uses will be limited to those falling within Use Class 2 of the
Planning (Use Classes) Order (Northern Ireland) 1989. These include services which are appropriate in a shopping area including financial and professional services. This will enable small office users such as estate agents or insurance services who have traditionally played an important role in local neighbourhood shopping areas to continue to be accommodated in individual units. Control of the scale and type of office development within the designated areas will ensure that the role of the
Belfast City Centre as the primary location for office development is maintained.

The designated shopping/commercial areas are located on the following Arterial Routes:-

• Albertbridge Road
• Andersonstown Road
• Antrim Road
• Castlereagh Road
• Crumlin Road/Oldpark Road
• Divis Street/Falls Road
• Donegall Road
• Grosvenor Road/Springfield Road
• Holywood Road
• Lisburn Road
• Newtownards Road/Upper Newtownards Road
• Ormeau Road
• Shankill Road/Woodvale Road
• Woodstock Road/Cregagh Road
• York Street/York Road/Shore Road

Details of the designations are contained in the Belfast District Proposals.

Policy OF 4 Office Development in Major Employment Locations (MELs)

Within Major Employment Locations, planning permission will be granted for office floorspace provided all of the following criteria are met: the floorspace does not exceed the maximum levels as follows:- Global Point/Ballyhenry - 3,000 sq m gross floorspace Purdysburn - 3,000 sq m gross floorspace West Lisburn/Blaris - 5,000 sq m gross floorspace Titanic Quarter - 5,000 sq m gross floorspace   the office use falls within Class 3 as currently specified in the Planning (Use Classes) Order (NI) 1989; and   the development is in accordance with the Key Site Requirements in the relevant District Proposals.

The Plan Proposals accommodate limited dispersal of major offices to designated
MELs. These locations offer opportunities to attract developments such as call-centres which serve wide national or international markets and do not therefore require a central location within city and town centres.

The scale of floorspace and the nature of the office uses at these locations will
be controlled in order to ensure that they do not prejudice the primacy of Belfast
City Centre.

In addition the type of office use will be controlled. Development will be limited
to offices falling within Use Class 3 as currently specified in the Planning (Use
Classes) Order (Northern Ireland) 1989. This includes offices associated
with businesses other than financial professional and other services as set out in
Use Class 2 of the Order.

Titanic Quarter presents a major development opportunity of significance for Belfast and Northern Ireland as a whole through the regeneration of a large site on what
was formerly part of the Harland and Wolff ship-building complex. The Department considers that unrestricted office development at Titanic Quarter could prejudice
the role of Belfast City Centre as the primary office location in the Plan Area.
However a limited amount of office floorspace as part of a mixed use redevelopment scheme will help initiate regeneration of the area by facilitating a major opportunity
for investment in a prestigious location. The Plan Proposals will permit office development of 5,000 sq m at Titanic Quarter. However consideration may be given
to proposals above 5,000 sq m where it can be demonstrated to the satisfaction of the Department that the proposal cannot be accommodated within Belfast City
Centre Main Office Area and which would otherwise result in the loss of significant inward investment.

Office provision within MELs will be considered at Plan Review, taking account of
the uptake of office space and the impact on city and town Centres.

Details of the designations of the MELs and the Key Site Requirements are
contained in the relevant District Proposals.

Policy OF 5 Queens University Office Area

Within the designated Queens University Office Area planning permission will only be granted for office development where all of the following criteria are met: the gross floorspace does not exceed 200 sq m;   the ofice use falls within Class 2 of the Planning (Use Classes)  Order (NI) 1989; and   the development is for university related uses.

The Queens University Belfast comprises a number of buildings, which are dispersed over an area of South Belfast encompassing Lisburn Road, Malone Road, Stranmillis Road and University Road.

Office development has spread in recent years adjacent to the campus buildings related to the University mirroring University requirements and to some extent commercial activity. In order to accommodate further small scale offices in this
area the Department will permit offices for the University of up to 200 sq m gross maximum floorspace within the designated Queens University Office Area. Accommodating University related office development with the campus environs focuses the University’s activities in the same area, ensuring that they can be
easily accessed by staff and students with minimum travelling.

The designated Queens University Office Area incorporates the main University campus (Lanyon Building) and surrounding streets including College Square,
University Street, Elmwood Avenue and parts of Lisburn Road, Malone Road and Stranmillis Road.

A large portion of Queens University Office Area falls within Queens Conservation
Area. In addition there are a number of buildings within the University Office Area which are of historic or architectural interest some of which are listed buildings. Proposals for office conversions or for new office development will be required to
take account of the Conservation Area and listed buildings where applicable and will be considered in the context of PPS 6 Planning, Archaeology and the Built Heritage where appropriate.

Policy OF 6 Stormont Office Node

Within the designated office node at Stormont planning permission will be granted for public sector administration office development and no other type of office use.

The Stormont Estate has been for many years a key location for public sector administration. The Department has identified an office node at Stormont in recognition of the significant role it plays in regional administration. The office node
is set within Stormont Estate which is identified as an Historic Park, Garden and Demesne on the Register of Historic Parks, Gardens and Demesnes

Favourable consideration will be given to office development solely for public sector administration within the designated node provided that the development is in accordance with Plan Policies and with regional policy in particular as set out in
PPS 6 Planning, Archaeology and the Built Environment.