Business

Belfast planners back bid to convert city street to new outdoor hospitality venue

How the new Brunswick St Social hub will look.
How the new Brunswick St Social hub will look. How the new Brunswick St Social hub will look.

ONE of the first significant projects to convert a Belfast street for outdoor hospitality use is set to get the official go ahead.

A section of road on Brunswick Street behind the Crown bar stretching from Franklin Street to James Street South will be temporarily pedestrianized.

‘Brunswick St Social’ will include a stage performance area, extensive decking, outdoor seating and a number of containers that will house a café/bar and a food preparation area.

The application has been made by the Belfast Central Business Improvement District (BID), otherwise known as Linen Quarter BID.

City authority planning officials have recommended the plan be signed off at Tuesday’s meeting of the planning committee.

But the planning approval will only permit the project to remain for two years.

Linen Quarter BID has stated it would like the space to operate for up to five years.

The area will provide for 112 table ‘covers’ plus 70 public seats and two recreational games areas.

The tender process to operate the café/bar and manage the space opened in late January 2021.

Linen Quarter BID have said further regeneration initiatives will be taken forward in 2021 as part of a £500,000 revitalisation programme jointly funded by LQ BID, Department for Communities, and Belfast City Council.

Those are expected to include a boardwalk on Linenhall Street offering space for hospitality venues, and a on the corner of Linenhall Street West, outside the BBC.

A fourth project, to widen pavements and activate the frontage along Adelaide Street, is also in the works.