THE Cathedral Quarter Trust is not simply opposed to development.
Like most people we are seeking the development of Belfast in a partnership model, where commercial viability is married to heritage and cultural preservation.
One of the consultants driving the Tribeca scheme promoted by Castlebrooke Developments, which was recently granted Outline planning permission, Paul McErlean wrote in an article on September 15 in these pages that ‘the professional planning team at Belfast City Council, did an excellent job at striking a balance between protecting and regenerating the heritage aspects of the area alongside the commercial elements.’
We disagree with that assessment, and we welcome the opportunity to outline our response to that assertion.
That article made a brief acknowledgement of the changing global and local context in which the planning decision was made, but only as an explanation to the time it took for Belfast City Council to reconsider the application.
That is to greatly downplay the impact of the Covid crisis on the commercial and economic environment. The future of commercial property and the question of whether there will ever be a need for the type of high rise offices planned by Castlebrooke is a genuine issue.
We argue that not only is it appropriate that planning officials and elected councillors take this into consideration, but there is a duty on them to do so. Everything has changed within a year, let alone the two decades since these development plans first appeared.
The first piece in the Tribeca jigsaw appears to be the proposed eight-floor office building at Writers Square, in front of St Anne’s Cathedral, which is set to be let out to development brief by the Department for Communities.
As a key public space over the last four decades, its use and amenity have become strongly established. So too has its use for mass gatherings, protest rallies and celebrations. Not everything is right about the Square and we agree that improvements could be made to the layout including the design of the buildings around the area.
But can anyone imagine if the permission was granted to build an eight storey office tower, on the site of the Belfast Christmas market and obscure the majestic frontage of Belfast City Hall? The Tribeca development is the Cathedral Quarter equivalent of such a decision.
Any development on Writers Square requires a vision that clearly defines the space, the buildings, their heights and quality. It requires the aspect of shading of the office building on the Cathedral to be considered. These are civic issues requiring a design panel or a DfC advisor to oversee and there are recent examples where that has happened elsewhere in the city.
We made our concerns known to planning officials and we also pointed out what we believe to inaccuracies in how the developer presented the impact on sightlines and sunlight which the office building in Writers Square will have on the Cathedral.
These issues are not merely a ‘difference of opinion’ but in our genuinely and legitimately held belief they are about the cultural and historical significance of this part of the city we all share and all want to see grow.
We share the desire of Tribeca and the City Council to ensure this hugely important site at the heart of Belfast’s Cathedral Quarter is developed as soon as possible for the economic well being of the city.
But we don’t want Belfast to become any other ‘Anytown.’ We have a unique and rich history. It is present in our buildings, our people and our public spaces. We want to promote and facilitate a rich future too and that requires genuine partnership among developers, residents, artists and dreamers. It also requires leadership from our politicians.
Very Reverend Stephen Forde, Dean of Belfast, represents the Cathedral Quarter Trust
