£117m apartment complex beside Titanic Belfast gets go-ahead with support from Sinn Fein and DUP

A new £117million “urban community” apartment complex beside Titanic Belfast has been approved by City Council, without Alliance and Green Party support.

“The Loft Lines,” a 3.8 acre development involving 778 new waterfront homes in three apartment blocks, was passed on a narrow vote at a special Belfast Council Planning Committee. 

The plan involves three buildings of between 11 and 17 storeys off Queen’s Road, Queen’s Island. The new homes will include a range of housing types, including one, two or three-bed homes, and studios, from a mix of build-to-rent, and social and affordable apartments. 20 percent of the apartments will be housing association managed homes.

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The blocks will have private balconies, shared courtyards and shared roof terraces.

Plans also involve a new riverfront promenade, a one acre park square and boulevard called “South Yard” and green travel benefits for residents.

Development will start in late summer this year for completion in August 2025. It is estimated construction will create 310 jobs over three years, while non-residential uses will require 80 jobs onsite to support commercial and community operations in the retail, professional services, health and care and hospitality sectors.

The application, from Pirrie Belfast Limited, was approved with four votes in support from Sinn Fein and the DUP, to three votes against from the Alliance Party and the Green Party. The council received six letters of support and nine objections.

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Green Councillor Áine Groogan criticised the application on issues of public open space, potential overshadowing on the apartment block containing social housing, and on flood risk. Sinn Fein Councillor Matt Garrett said it was “a very progressive scheme.”

The agent for the applicant, Turley, explained the name of the new development, stating: “The Loft Lines name is inspired by Belfast’s loftsmen, who planned out the life-sized plate patterns of ships on the enormous black floor of the shipyard’s mould loft, which once stood on the site of the proposed scheme.

“The loftsmen were geometrists and had to be exacting, as their work was the basis for building the high-quality ships Belfast became known for. The Loft Lines development continues this same ethos of quality in its plan for a new way of living.”

James Eyre, Commercial Director of Titanic Quarter Ltd, commented: “The approval of the Loft Lines proposal marks an exciting new chapter for Titanic Quarter as it continues to grow as a thriving place to live, work, visit and stay.” 

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Joe O’Neill, Chief Executive of Belfast Harbour, said: “We are delighted with the council’s decision to grant planning permission to build this new residential development, delivering on the potential of this iconic waterfront location. The green light given will no doubt set a precedent for high quality city homes and public realm, and help attract future inward investment to Belfast.” 

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