A MULTI-million pound plan to regenerate the former Sirocco Works site on the bank of the River Lagan in east Belfast has been given the go-ahead.
Office space, homes, a creative hub and a hotel are proposed for the 16-acre site, which has been derelict for a decade.
The Belfast Waterside project was approved last night by the city council's planning committee.
As part of the plans, a "creative cluster" building facing onto the Lagan will include a public square "reflecting the site's industrial heritage".
Proposals for 675 homes are to include up to 20 per cent affordable housing units, including a minimum of 10 per cent social housing.
A replacement pedestrian bridge over the Lagan will also be built, and access improved to both Short Strand and Bridge End.
The developers Osborne and Co estimate the project will create more than 8,000 jobs and provide homes for more than 1,500 people.
Jim Osborne, the firm's main partner, said the development was a "unique opportunity to create something that Belfast sorely needs".
Sinn Féin councillor Arder Carson, chair of the planning committee, described it as a "massive step forward for Belfast".
