People have another two weeks to give their views on a major redevelopment plan to turn Belfast's Cathedral Gardens area into an urban forest and new events space.
Belfast City Council is offering the chance for people to have their say in a survey on the plans to transform Cathedral Gardens, also known as Buoys Park, into a “world class public space for people to gather, relax and play.” The public consultation will end on May 23.
Cathedral Gardens, bounded by York Street and Academy Street, lies between St Anne's Cathedral and Ulster University.
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The plan for the area involves an urban forest, described by the council as including a “diverse mix of trees with high canopies, creating forest 'rooms',” and a space for large scale events, including music events and markets.
There will be new tree, ground and shrub plantings aiming to attract a variety of local bird species, insects and invertebrates, and a new water feature and lighting display, with audio-visual interactive art. Rainwater will be stored and reused on lawn areas and for water features.
A major new artwork will be commissioned, along with other smaller works, and a new memorial to mark the Belfast Blitz.
The development will focus on play for children. The council states: “A space attractive to children was a core consideration. Play features, art and water features and learning sculptures within forest rooms are included while children-focused events will be programmed as part of the wider events in the space.”
The public survey can be found here.
In 2020 a £250,000 pop-up park, designed by toddlers and primary school children, was set up on the site.
A council report last year on the proposal stated: “A key asset in the city centre in terms of open space is Cathedral Gardens” and added council officers had “identified the opportunity to provide a sizable new open space and greening opportunities by linking St. Anne’s Cathedral to Cathedral Gardens and Writers Square.”
The report added: “The redevelopment of Cathedral Gardens provides a significant opportunity to inject critical and much needed quality public urban space into the city centre.
“The area adjacent to and surrounding Cathedral Gardens is home to a rich history of fabrication and cultural identity. It is a precinct in the process of evolution through a mixture of commercial, education and housing related developments that are transforming this part of Belfast into a new and vibrant mixed use neighbourhood for the city.”
Plan developers Hassell state: “The master plan aims to provide a space that’s greener, more sustainable, more walkable and more connected to the wider city.
"Located next to Ulster University and the historic St Anne’s Cathedral, this previously neglected locale offers up a diversity of flexible new spaces ranging from expansive lawns where visitors can rest and relax to shady, tree-lined event areas for food markets, flower shows and music festivals.
“The future Cathedral Gardens will also deliver a sustainable oasis of nature-inspired calm thanks in part to the planting of an urban forest designed to change with the seasons and attract local wildlife.
“The forest, lawn areas and planted gardens will all be fed with rainwater that’s captured and stored on site. Artworks spanning large installations to smaller garden art trails, an interactive water feature, audio- visual and lighting displays, and spaces for cafes and restaurants will all combine to create a dynamic, new place for people to gather, relax and play both day and night.”
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