Plans to make Belfast city centre a safer, greener and more connected place has taken a key step forward with new funding.

Two initiatives from Belfast City Council are progressing with investment from the Department for Infrastructure Blue Green Infrastructure fund.

The first is an Active Travel initiative which explores market interest in providing secure cycle parking sites throughout the city to help promote active, environmentally responsible travel.

The 'Grey to Green' initiative will seek expressions of interest from Belfast businesses, social enterprises, charities, and schools to support green projects in the city centre.

Calling on organisations to take on projects, Belfast City Council Chief Executive John Walsh said: "For the Active Travel secure cycle parking, we'll consider Expressions of Interest from operators proposing to use carparks, carparks or repurpose vacant shop units to deliver and maintain safe, secure, and self-sustaining cycle parking.

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"For Grey to Green, we plan to fund up to ten projects which will sustainably introduce trees, plants, vegetation, and flowers. This is all about encouraging biodiversity in the city centre – and helping to combat pollution. We’re also keen to make Belfast city centre more attractive and liveable by introducing temporary structures allowing vegetation to spread over building façades, hoarding or exterior walls, planting native trees, vegetation, and flowers in vacant, underused, and derelict city centre sites."

The Active Travel scheme will provide 100% capital support up to a maximum of £30K per secure parking site and must be delivered by February 2024.

Organisations interested in making an application for either initiative should email [email protected] quoting 'Active Travel' or 'Grey to Green' in the subject line to book a place at an information session and find out more.

The closing date for returning an expression of interest for both schemes is 5pm on Wednesday 31 May 2023.