A new planter on Queen's Quay in Belfast, delivered by the Paul Hogarth Company and Totalis Construction, has converted a vacant land area into a green space with views of the city’s waterfront and the Maritime Mile.

The new planter on Queen's Quay, installed by Maritime Belfast Trust with support from Belfast City Council and the Department for Communities, features integrated seating, native plants and bug hotels. Positioned between the Odyssey Arena and the Lagan Weir pedestrian bridge, this planter is part of a broader effort to enhance Belfast’s historic waterfront, creating a vibrant and connected experience.

Through its Grey to Green initiative, Belfast City Council is supporting Maritime Belfast Trust, a charity dedicated to preserving and promoting Belfast’s maritime heritage. This initiative aims to improve and create new green spaces across the city, boost urban biodiversity, and reintroduce native species.

Councillor Sam Nelson, Chair of Belfast City Council's City Growth and Regeneration Committee said: "A Bolder Vision for Belfast highlights the importance of creating a greener and more accessible city. So we’re delighted to see Maritime Belfast Trust greening this previously vacant area of land and enhancing the Maritime Mile’s attractiveness and connectivity.

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"Through Grey to Green, we’ve also helped to create The BUG – Belfast’s Urban Garden on Kent Street. It offers a fantastic, free opportunity to connect with nature and community in the heart of our city centre. It’s supporting biodiversity, helping to combat pollution, and improving the city centre’s overall appeal and liveability. We’ve also funded Belfast South Community Resources to transform a derelict site on the corner of Sandy Row and Wellwood Street into a temporary community garden, ‘Sandy Glade’. A green wall is currently being constructed by Kilultagh Estates on Linenhall Street, and we’ve funded BID One to install two giant bee structures at 2 Royal Avenue and Bank Square to signify our shared commitment to creating 'lively, safe, and green streets'."

Chief Executive of Maritime Belfast, Kerrie Sweeney welcomed the initiative: "Queen's Quay is the gateway to the Maritime Mile, and adding the planter has made such a positive change to the area. We are delighted to have had the support from Belfast City Council and the Department for Communities to transform the area as part of our wider ambitions for Belfast’s waterfront. The planter can be enjoyed by all our local neighbourhoods and visitors to the area, and we’ve installed bug hotels and pollinator plants to encourage butterflies, bees, and invertebrates to use the planter as well. The bug hotels are made from keelblocks from the Hamilton Dock, a great example of adapting a circular economy approach with the re-use of heritage materials. We look forward to adding further projects to the Maritime Mile to enhance our iconic waterfront."

Belfast City Council and Maritime Belfast, in collaboration with the Waterfront Task Group, are developing a new framework to ensure a sustainable future for Belfast’s iconic waterfront. This framework aims to support net-zero goals by enhancing active travel options, connecting various urban neighbourhoods with the city’s waterfront promenade, increasing habitats, and creating inviting spaces for wildlife.

As part of the green transformation of Queen's Quay, Maritime Belfast has worked with RSPB, BugLife, and the Department for Communities' River Warden to promote natural habitats and attract birds and wildlife.