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BELFAST HARBOUR BEGINS WORK ON £3M FIRST

    PHASE OF CITY QUAYS GARDENS



   Innovative project aims to gain         focuses on key principles of          proximity to a range of public
   landmark “One Planet Living”            social, environmental and             transport halts, including York
   accreditation                           economic sustainability, which        Street Railway station. Belfast
                                           are weaved into the design            Harbour is working closely with
   Belfast Harbour has commenced           and development of City               Maritime Belfast Trust and Belfast
   work on the City Quays Gardens, a       Quays Gardens.                        City Council to ensure that the
   £3m project to develop a vibrant                                              new space can be animated with
   new urban garden in the city which      The new Gardens will blend            events, activities and historic trails
   is expected to be completed by          the maritime heritage of the          and that it seamlessly integrates
   August 2024.                            site with sustainable design,         with the Maritime Mile and other
                                           featuring richly planted green        public space developments within
   The City Quays Gardens project          spaces with seating, extensive        the city.
   has been masterplanned in a             tree planting, events lawns with      Joe O’Neill, CEO, Belfast Harbour
   number of phases, with the phase        amphitheatre seating and              said:
   one investment focusing on the          outdoor workspace supported           “This investment will transform the
                                           with publicly available Wi-Fi.
   creation of a 2-acre green public                                             public space around City Quays,
   space on land between City Quays        The project is also designed to       making it an attractive leisure
   and the historic Belfast Harbour        help promote active and               space for visitors and better
   Office.                                 sustainable travel,                   connecting the Harbour Estate to

                                           reconnecting the National             our neighbouring communities.
   Northern Ireland construction firm      Cycle Network by                      We believe the new Gardens will
   Northstone has been appointed           incorporating an off-road             also contribute to Belfast
   as lead contractor for the project,     alternative cycle route along         Harbour’s sustainability goal of
   which will develop new public           the City’s waterfront. It will also   reaching net zero carbon by 2030
   space for local and visiting            improve pedestrian and cycle          and enhance the wellbeing of
   communities which will blend the        connections within close              local communities and visitors
   rich industrial and maritime                                                  alike.”
   heritage of the area with an
   innovative and sustainable design.


   City Quays Gardens aims to
   achieve the ‘One Planet Living’
   environmental accreditation, a first
   in Northern Ireland. The Gardens
   incorporates an eco-conscious
   design and aims to create new
   habitats for wildlife, enhancing
   biodiversity.

   One Planet Living is a sustainability
   framework created by
   Bioregional, a charity and social
   enterprise which aims to develop
   more sustainable ways of living and
   developed in partnership with the
   World Wildlife Fund. The framework

       WWW.MODERNBUILDER.CO.UK                                                               MODERN BUILDER - ISSUE 112 | 11
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