LARG

08/08/2026

Action Taken on Overgrown Planters at Great Georges Street Car Park

Residents have raised concerns about the condition of the Council-owned car park at the corner of Great Georges Street, particularly the overgrown planters along the edge of the car park.

At a recent meeting of the LARG Residents Group, residents highlighted that the vegetation had become overgrown and was spreading into the adjoining alleyway. This was making it increasingly difficult for residents to walk through the area and, in particular, to access the alleyway when taking their household bins out.

Following the concerns raised by residents, our Residents Group Chairperson, Cecilia Devlin, contacted Gary Dunlop, OSS Area Manager (Central), City and Neighbourhood Services Department at Belfast City Council, to bring the issue to the Council's attention.

We are delighted to report that the Council has now responded and action has been taken. The overgrown planters have been cut back, helping to clear the alleyway and improve access for local residents.

We would like to thank Gary Dunlop and the Council's City and Neighbourhood Services team for responding to the concerns raised by residents and arranging for the necessary work to be carried out.

Before and after photographs of the area can be seen below.
This is a great example of residents raising a local issue, engaging with the relevant Council department and achieving a positive result for the community.

02/08/2026

Belfast Prepares to Welcome the Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann

From today, Belfast will proudly host Comhaltas Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann for the very first time, marking a historic occasion as the city welcomes the world's largest celebration of Irish traditional music and culture.

The eight-day festival will bring together talented musicians, singers, dancers and Irish language enthusiasts from across Ireland and around the world, all competing in the prestigious All-Ireland finals.

More than 800,000 visitors are expected to attend throughout the festival, with a packed programme of street entertainment, traditional music sessions in pubs, live concerts, cultural events and family-friendly activities taking place across the city.
Residents and visitors should be aware that Belfast city centre will be significantly busier than usual. A large section of the city will be pedestrianised, and a number of planned road closures will be in operation to accommodate the event.

The road closures will be in place from 6.00am on Sunday, 2 August, until 5.00am on Monday, 10 August, with the busiest period expected from Thursday, 6 August onwards.

If you're travelling into the city during the festival, allow extra time for your journey, check traffic updates before setting off, and consider using public transport where possible.

Whether you're taking part in the competitions or simply enjoying the atmosphere, the Fleadh promises to be one of the biggest cultural events Belfast has ever hosted.

01/07/2026

Sailortown Bridge

Irish Government Provides €400,000 Boost for Sailortown Bridge Project

Plans for Belfast's proposed Sailortown Bridge have received a significant boost after the Irish Government announced €400,000 in new funding through its Shared Island Fund.
The funding will support the next stage of design work for the landmark pedestrian and cycling swing bridge, which will span the River Lagan, linking the historic Sailortown area with Titanic Quarter and providing improved access to York Street Train Station. The project is expected to strengthen connections between North and East Belfast while encouraging active travel and supporting waterfront regeneration.

The investment forms part of an €800,000 package shared equally between Belfast and Cork to advance priority docklands bridge projects in both cities. Belfast's Sailortown Bridge and Cork's Kent Station Bridge will now continue to be developed through a partnership between the two city councils.

In May 2025, Belfast City Council confirmed it would act as the contracting authority for the project, overseeing procurement and project management.

However, he also stressed that the Department for Infrastructure must commit the funding needed to see the project through to completion, warning against delays caused by future funding uncertainty.

Belfast City Council also welcomed the announcement, describing the proposed bridge as a key element of its A Bolder Vision strategy. The council said the project would help connect communities, improve active travel and support regeneration along the waterfront.

The council confirmed it will continue working with the Department for Infrastructure, Belfast Harbour and the Shared Island team to progress the design phase, building on the £300,000 already provided by DfI for early design work.

16/06/2026

Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann

Belfast Unveils Major Transport Plan for Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann 2026

Belfast City Council has announced an extensive transport and traffic management plan ahead of this summer’s Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann, which is expected to attract around 800,000 visitors to the city from 2nd to the 9th August.

Developed in partnership with Translink, the Department for Infrastructure and the PSNI, the plan includes the pedestrianisation of Belfast city centre to create a safe and welcoming festival zone for what will be the first time the world’s largest celebration of Irish music and culture is hosted in Belfast.

Residents, commuters and visitors are being urged to plan ahead, allow extra travel time and avoid driving into the city centre during the eight-day event. Instead, organisers are encouraging the use of public transport, walking and cycling.
To help manage visitor numbers, three dedicated Park and Ride facilities will operate at the Eikon Exhibition Centre, Giant’s Park and Belfast Harbour. A free shuttle bus service will connect these sites with key city centre transport hubs. Pre-booking for Park and Ride spaces opens on 6 July.

Translink will maintain normal Metro, Glider and Ulsterbus services, while NI Railways will introduce enhanced capacity and revised timetables to accommodate increased demand.
Special arrangements have also been introduced for city centre businesses, including overnight delivery windows and a dedicated Accreditation and Logistics Hub to support operations throughout the event.

The PSNI has confirmed an increased policing presence across Belfast, while the Department for Infrastructure will implement road closures, temporary traffic restrictions and real-time traffic monitoring to minimise disruption.

Further travel information, including Park and Ride bookings, shuttle bus schedules and transport updates, is available through the official Fleadh and Translink websites.

05/06/2026

Overnight Maintenance Works Continue on A12 Westlink.

Residents living near the A12 Westlink are being advised that essential overnight maintenance works are currently underway as part of an ongoing road infrastructure improvement programme.

The A12 Westlink forms part of the Design Build Finance Operate (DBFO) Package 1 contract and is operated and maintained on behalf of the Department by Highway Management (City) Ltd and its operating partner, Intertoll.

The works involve the renewal of sections of the vehicle restraint system along the A12 Westlink. Construction activity began on the 18th of May and is expected to continue for approximately eight weeks.

To minimise disruption to daytime traffic, the works are being carried out during overnight hours between 11.00pm and 6.00am on weekday nights.

Due to the nature of the maintenance activities, some noise may be experienced by nearby residents. However, contractors have confirmed that every effort is being made to keep noise levels to a minimum while ensuring the work is completed safely and efficiently.

The improvement works are considered essential to maintain road safety standards and the long-term reliability of this key transport route through Belfast.

29/05/2026

Traffic Consultation - Little York Street

A public consultation relating to proposed Traffic Regulation Orders for Little York Street and Little Patrick Street is now live and can be viewed on the Department for Infrastructure website.
The consultation includes four separate orders covering waiting restrictions, loading bays, a one-way system and traffic calming measures. The consultation period for the loading bays, waiting restrictions and one-way system proposals will close on 18 June at 5pm, while the consultation on the traffic calming measures will remain open until 29 June at 5pm.

More info at: https://www.infrastructure-ni.gov.uk/consultations/traffic-calming-belfast

29/05/2026

NIGHT MARKET - FRIDAY 5TH JUNE 2026 5PM-10PM

Sailortown after dark 🌆🍔🍺🎶

Night Market returns to Sailortown Festival on Friday 5th June with a line-up of street food, makers, music and late-night dockside atmosphere in Barrow Square.

Street food line-up includes: Knead Pizza, CBCheeseys, Oui Poutine, North Coast Smash Burgers, Station 4 Kitchen, Flaming Jo’s, Nomad Grill, Hungry Hungarian, Urban Street Grub and The Lamb Van 🍟🔥🍔

Plus independent makers and artists including: Krumb Bakery, Black Fire Foods, Clay Fairy Ceramics, Bluebell Handmade Jewellery, Haus of Hank, Cloudwine, Soulscapes, Jackson Roze, Triplemoon Crafts, Dogzone, Cyberprint 3D, The Brownie Barn and many many more!

🍺 Bar by Seatons of Sailortown
🥁 Live music & percussion by Bang Bike
🕔 Friday 5th June | 5PM–10PM
📍 Barrow Square, Sailortown
🎟️ Free Entry

Getting there? It’s only around a 7 minute walk from The Big Fish!

Start at The Big Fish, walk along the waterfront past the Obel and AC Marriott, into Clarendon Dock and follow the festival signage.

Alternative access via Princes Dock Street and Pilot Street.

Map link in Bio.

29/05/2026

Residents’ Parking Zones

The application window for residents’ parking zones is now open and will run from 28 April 2026 until 31 July 2026. Residents’ parking zones are designed to help people living in residential areas park closer to their homes or businesses by restricting parking during certain times of the day to vehicles displaying a valid permit or parking ticket.

Residents and businesses within a designated zone can apply for permits allowing them to park within that area during the zone’s hours of operation. In most cases, households are entitled to one parking permit, although this may depend on the amount of available parking space within the zone. Properties with private off-street parking, such as driveways, may not qualify for a permit. A permit allows parking within the zone but does not guarantee a specific parking space or a space directly outside a property.

Residents’ parking zones will also include pay and display parking for motorists without a valid permit during operational hours.

To qualify for consideration, an area must experience ongoing commuter or nuisance parking, consist entirely of adopted roads, and have fewer than 50 per cent of properties with access to off-street parking. In addition, a majority of residents and businesses within the proposed area must support the introduction of a residents’ parking zone.

Applications for a residents’ parking zone can only be submitted during the designated application period. Applicants will be required to outline the parking issues affecting their area and provide evidence of local support for the proposed scheme. Applications received after 31 July 2026 will not be considered and must be resubmitted when the next application window opens.

Applications that do not meet the eligibility requirements will be unsuccessful, and applicants will be informed of the reasons why. If an application is unsuccessful, a further application cannot normally be made for five years unless there has been a significant change in circumstances.
More information: https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/articles/residents-parking-zones

29/05/2026

Proposal of Application Notice.

Castlebrooke Investments – North Street-Donegall Street PAN Submission

Please find herewith a Proposal of Application Notice (PAN) submitted to Belfast City Council in relation to emerging regeneration proposals for the North Street-Donegall Street area of Belfast city centre.

Castlebrooke Investments is bringing forward the proposals as part of its vision to regenerate this historically significant part of Belfast city centre and create a new mixed-use neighbourhood focused on long-term city living.

The submission of a PAN marks the beginning of the formal pre-application consultation process ahead of a future planning application and provides an opportunity for local communities, stakeholders and elected representatives to engage with the project team as the proposals continue to evolve.

The vision for North Street-Donegall Street is to create a new mixed-use neighbourhood in the heart of Belfast city centre, delivering around 1,000 new homes- including social and affordable accommodation, two 4-star hotels and up to 100,000 sq ft of mixed commercial and community space, including shops, restaurants, cafes and services.

The proposals seek to create a vibrant and sustainable city centre community for a range of demographics while carefully respecting the area’s historic character and heritage significance. They include the creation of new streets, alleyways, and the revitalisation of Writer’s Square. The proposals also align with Belfast City Council’s wider ambitions for city centre living as set out in the Belfast Agenda Strategy and broader regeneration plans.

As part of the consultation process, public consultation events will take place on Tuesday 30 June from 2-8pm and Wednesday 1 July from 11am-6pm at the Masonic Hall on Rosemary Street, where interested parties will be able to view and comment on the proposals prior to the submission of any planning application. A dedicated project holding page is now available to register interest at www.northst-donegallst.co.uk and from 30 June this website will be updated to display the consultation materials.

Read or Download the (PAN) Application Form PDF at: https://flipbooklets.com/pdfflipbooklets/proposal-of-application-notice

15/05/2026

Centre for Digital Healthcare Technology
Project Update

Newsletter Issue 35

This Week on Site.
This week marked a major milestone for the project as we successfully completed all works within the contract and officially finished operations on site at Northland House. It has been a fantastic opportunity for our team to work alongside such a highly regarded client in a busy city centre environment, helping prepare the site for the future Centre for Digital Healthcare Technology (CDHT) development.

Throughout the project, we adapted our working methods to reduce disruption as much as possible for local residents, neighbouring businesses and the wider community. While a number of unforeseen challenges were encountered along the way, all issues were managed safely, professionally and in close collaboration with the project team and stakeholders. As a result, the site has now been fully de-risked and safely prepared ahead of the next phase of construction.

We would like to extend a sincere thank you to all local residents, businesses, stakeholders and members of the community for your patience, cooperation and understanding throughout the works. Your support and engagement have been greatly appreciated by everyone involved in the project.

Looking Ahead
The site will now remain vacant for a temporary period while Ulster University completes the procurement process for the appointment of the main contractor who will deliver the future Centre for Digital Healthcare Technology (CDHT) building. In the meantime, the site has been left in a safe, secure and fully controlled condition, ready for the next phase of development to begin later this year.

Ulster University & B Small Contracts Ltd.

Centre for Digital Healthcare Technology