Belfast City Council has announced that its looking for a development partner to help boost the city's population through a £630 million housing-led regeneration opportunity.

In order to fulfil Belfast's ambition to welcome 66,000 new residents to the city by 2035, an estimated 31,600 new homes will need to built.

Belfast Lord Mayor Councillor, Ryan Murphy, said: "This is a bold approach, in that we’re seeking to bring forward residential-led, mixed-use development across the city. And it comes at a really exciting time for Belfast. We’re the powerhouse of the regional economy and we’re perfectly positioned for investment, with both Dublin and London in easy reach.

"We've seen significant regeneration in our city centre in recent years, including Ulster University’s new city centre campus, and multi-million investment in the Belfast Grand Central Station and wider Weavers Cross development. And we’re excited about our inclusive, resilient, low-carbon future. In the next decade, £1bn from the Belfast Region City Deal – and investment in the waterfront, active and sustainable travel, culture, and tourism infrastructure – will continue to transform our city and make it an even better place to live, work, invest in, and visit.

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"We're passionate about creating a more vibrant, more inclusive, and more liveable city centre, while enhancing quality of life for all our citizens. Investment in quality homes, placemaking, connectivity and social infrastructure lies at the heart of that vision.

"We've committed to developing new homes and using the council's land to help our city grow and thrive. That's why we're now looking for a long-term partner who shares our ambition and vision for Belfast and can help us build an inclusive city that works for everyone."

After active engagement with the private sector and investment market, the council is seeking a long-term Private Sector Partner (PSP) which will bring forward sustainable development, with high quality placemaking and people at its core. The ideal partner will have proven track record in successfully delivering housing-led regeneration, with credentials in delivering lasting positive social, economic, and environmental impacts.

Concept plans show an opportunity to develop residential-led, mixed-use developments on four city centre seed sites, with potential for more of these developments across the city.

Keith Hardman, International Partner, Head of Development & Strategic Advisory, UK at Cushman & Wakefield, stated: "Cushman & Wakefield is very pleased to be supporting Belfast City Council in the partner selection process for this exciting multi-site development project. It represents an excellent residential-led, mixed-use opportunity for developers and investors to play a major role in the continuing transformation and growth of Belfast as a destination for sustainable high-quality city living."