Planning yes to transform Belfast's Cathedral Gardens and enhance visitor facilities at Divis and Black Mountain

Belfast City Council’s planning committee has approved plans to transform Cathedral Gardens in city centre and enhance visitor facilities at Divis and Black Mountain.

During tonight’s meeting, planners gave the green light to redevelop Cathedral Gardens into a unique civic space with a public plaza to hold small events, an urban forest/woodland garden area and a play zone for children with digital art displays.

With new lighting, planting and seating and public realm enhancements, the plans will also include a new memorial installed to remember the World War II Belfast Blitz - developed with the Northern Ireland War Memorial Museum.

This memorial will encompass a bronze frieze facing out towards York Street with a mirrored wall facing into Cathedral Gardens to provide a contemplative, reflective space.

A memorial to champion boxer Rinty Monaghan, currently on the site, will be retained and relocated to a spot facing onto York Street.

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This planning application was submitted by Belfast City Council as part of its physical investment programme.

The Planning Committee also approved a planning application by the National Trust at its Divis and Black Mountain site to refurbish and repurpose three buildings to provide visitor facilities such as a kiosk area, exhibition space, an accessible toilet and relocation of the existing café on site.

The proposal included enhancements to the existing pond network located at the visitor hub and improvements to the site such as paths, new routes, signature and furniture.

Councillor Arder Carson, chair of council’s Planning Committee, said: “Both these planning applications, approved by the Planning Committee this evening, will be welcomed by local residents, people in the city and tourists.

“The redevelopment of Cathedral Gardens is part of Council’s major physical investment programme to transform this area in the city centre into a welcoming, attractive, sustainable, social space for people to enjoy all year round, night and day.

“It complements and builds upon other recent investment into this area, across from the new look University of Ulster and around the corner from Belfast Stories, due to open by 2030 along Royal Avenue and aiming to attract more than 700,000 visitors per year.

“While the exciting plans by the National Trust, to redevelop and enhance visitor facilities at Divis and Black Mountain, will be a big bonus to people visiting the site regularly or just stopping off while visiting the city.”