Adit NGA Case Study

Belfast – Titanic Quarter

For DIGITAL BRISTOL

July 2009
 Belfast – Titanic Quarter

Project Name: ‘Titanic Quarter’ [Spring 2009 – 2012]

Location: Belfast, Northern Ireland

Website: http://www.titanic-quarter.com/index.php

Public/Private: Public/State with Private Housing & Apartment Developments

Summary: Titanic Quarter is a high profile European waterfront development firmly

rooted in the history and character of Belfast, acting as a driver for high quality
investment. This is Europe's largest and most exciting waterfront development, aiming
to transform the Lagan riverside 185-acre site into a new mixed use maritime quarter
with a mile of water frontage and a range of investment opportunities including: over
5,000 apartments, 900,000 sq. m. of business, education, office and research and
development floor space together with hotels, restaurants, cafes, bars and other leisure
uses.

Titanic Quarter will bring new life to a part of the city that is rich in both history and
potential. The site is centred upon former shipbuilding land from which vessels such as
the RMS Titanic, Olympic and SS Canberra were launched - some of most innovative
and complex engineering projects ever undertaken. It will become a major social and
business meeting place with galleries, theatres, parklands and water sports all easily
connected to Belfast's thriving city centre. The Titanic Quarter development is co-
promoted by the Port of Belfast and T-Quarter Limited. The £5.5bn development hopes
to create 25,000 new jobs over 25yrs.

ICT Partner: REDSTONE Communications Infrastructure: Similar to Gateshead

BBQ Project = A new municipal Open-Access-Network is being created, based upon
10gigabit/sec capable fibre-optic cabling and advanced ICT service switches. Service
Providers (there are six already signed-up) will then connect to the Point of Presence
and offer their branded products to end user citizens and businesses. Bytel is provide
the backhaul from the PoP as an established champion of open access backhaul
networks and also provides the only Tier 1 Internet Gateway in Northern Ireland.

Special Features: REDSTONE will offer the ‘last mile’of 100MB/sec high speed
broadband services to the home Summer 2009 onwards (in partnership with
Scandinavian specialist Packetfront)

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Belfast – Titanic Quarter
 Belfast – Titanic Quarter

1.Introduction

This report contains initial research on the timescales, planning, implementation and
results to date of the implementation of Belfast’s Titanic Quarter

There are some synergies between Barcelona and Belfast with respect to the overall
type of area chosen for re-development and the facilities planned, this report highlights
the key areas that have been addressed.

This project has evolved over the past nine years, however there has been a focus on
this area since it was recognised as a brow field site in 1990.

1.1Background

Titanic quarter is an extension of the city centre and an urban mixed-use regeneration
site of 185 acres. Formerly the Harland & Wolff shipyard, Harland & Wolff had left the
site on their relocation and were unable to use the land due to the nature of the leases
from the Harbour Commission

Originally given the name Titanic Park it was renamed Titanic Quarter to reflect the size
of the undertaking:

In its initial phases Titanic Quarter will include:

• Up to 5,000 residential units

• A financial services centre with the first occupant being Citigroup
• A integrated campus facility fro Belfast Metropolitan College, serving 17,00
students
• Several major new and historic tourist attractions, hotels and public spaces
• The new HQ for the NI Public Records Office
• And a world class Creative Media Campus clustered around the ‘Paint Hall’
studio complex

The Queen’s Island site already housed the 25 acre Northern Ireland Science Park with
multi-user Innovation Centre, an electronic communications and information technology
research institute for Queens University Belfast and a purpose built software
development centre for Citibank.

Further more the site is at the centre of an extensive public sector trial of Broadband
mobility utilising systems conformant to the recently approved IEEE802.20 standard.

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 Belfast – Titanic Quarter

1.2History

• Prior to 1990 - Ship building and port area

• 1990 - identified as a brown field site

• 1995 - renamed the Titanic Park

• 1997 – the Waterfront Hall opened

• 2000 – the Titanic Quarter (TQ) is born as the land regeneration agreements are
signed between Harland and Wolff (leasee) and the Port Authority of Belfast
(lease holder).

• 2001 – Master planners appointed to develop the region concepts and proposals

• 2002 – Northern Ireland Science Park lease signed, a second lease is signed by
the Port of Belfast to expand the site to 185 acres and the first planning
applications are made

• 2003 – Planning applications for residential areas and 250,000sq ft to the

existing Channel Commercial park

• 2004 - Harcourt development group acquires TQ

• 2005 – new development framework and outline planning permission for 150,00
sq ft of offices, 200,000 sq ft of business space and the official launch of the first
phase.

• 2006 – Preferred bidder for the new Belfast campus, full planning permission is
received and infrastructure is commenced

• 2007 – Phase 2 plans launched and construction begins

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 Belfast – Titanic Quarter

1.3Objectives

The plan is to transform the area into a massive commercial/residential scheme at a

cost of £1bn for the first phase and potentially up to £5nbn over a timeframe of up to 25
years. The idea is that Titanic Quarter will be a "dynamic and imaginative, mixed use,
city centre quarter for Belfast, the largest and most important employment, investment
and regeneration opportunity to arise in Northern Ireland for a generation.... one of the
largest waterfront developments in Europe".

Based on a 'city quarter' grid structure of streets and development blocks of similar
scale to Belfast city centre, the mix of land uses will include:

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 Belfast – Titanic Quarter

• Dwellings, including 'family friendly' apartments and townhouses.

• A high quality business quarter complementary to the city centre, which will
attract inward investment to the city.
• Light Industrial and commercial development of some 1.3 million sq ft.
• Conversion of the world famous shipbuilders Harland & Wolff into a four-star
hotel and creation of a 'Gateway' hotel at the entrance to Titanic Quarter at
Abercorn Basin adjacent to the Odyssey complex.
• Leisure and development including restaurants and hotels, cafe/bars and health
and fitness clubs totalling up to some 450,000 sq ft.

Phase 1

1 million sqft of mixed-use development adjacent to the Odyssey Arena and Pavilion.
This phase will encompasses the ‘the Arc' residential complex, designed by award
winning architects Robinson McIlwaine and Gateway Offices by award winning Todd
Architects, hotel, retail and leisure opportunities.

This phase also includes a new third level education campus for Belfast Metropolitan
College, designed by Todd Architects.

Phase 2

3.3 million sqft of high mixed-use development offering residential, commercial, retail
and leisure facilities. At the heart of this Phase will be the Titanic Signature Project,
the former Harland & Wolff headquarters building and the RMS Titanic and RMS
Olympic slipways which will form a world-class visitor destination.

Phases 3 - 5

These phases are at conceptual design stage.

1.4Scale

TOTAL PLANNING AREA: 185 acres

HOUSING: 13,500 residential properties are planned

INCREASE IN GREEN SPACES: 300,000 m2

NEW JOBS GENERATED: 25,000 in total

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 Belfast – Titanic Quarter

INVESTMENT IN INFRASTRUCTURE PLAN: £1bn in the first phase and up to £5bn

over the next 25 years

1.5Organisation

A true JV has been formed between Harcourt and the Belfast Port Trust (as landlords).

The Harbour Commission re-negotiated the leases with Harland and Wolff as they still
had 40 / 50 years to run with limitation of use to ship building etc., this formed the
Titanic Quarter Ltd which was bought by the Harcourt Group who invest 50% in
enabling infrastructure and as each site comes on stream it is value and Harcourt pay
50% of the valuation to the Port, with the Port turnover of £30/31m p.a. the project is
self contained with respect to financing therefore no EU or development funding is sort.
Lottery funding of £25m is mentioned on reports however this was for a separate
project and was not awarded.

2.Objectives

2.1Development strategy

Titanic Quarter's Development Framework envisages a ‘city quarter' grid structure of

streets of similar scale to the city centre, together with a mix of land uses including:

• Up to 5000 dwellings including apartments and townhouses

• A high quality business quarter.
• The total business/office/R&D floor space will be 180,000m²
• Commercial development of some 130,000m²
• The Titanic Signature Project
• A major third level education campus
• Restoration of the former H&W HQ
• Creation of a ‘Gateway' hotel at entrance to Titanic Quarter at Abercorn Basin
• Leisure developments including restaurants, café/bars and health and fitness
clubs up to 41,000m²
• Other commercial uses including a high quality car retail park
• Provision of a cruise liner berth and ancillary facilities for tourism
• Local services and business support including local retail, health care, crèches
and day nurseries

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 Belfast – Titanic Quarter

Public Transport, Pedestrian and Cycle Access

The infrastructure has been designed to accommodate high quality forms of public
transport. Whilst dedicated bus services will be provided initially the transportation
infrastructure will be designed to allow for the potential introduction of light rapid
transport systems. Pedestrian walkways and cycle routes will also be provided.

Public Realm and Public Squares

A network of open spaces and landscaped areas will be provided as an integral part of
the development. A new major square will be created in front of the former H&W HQ
building. Other squares and green spaces will be provided within the various
developments.

2.2Environmental concerns

2.2.1Sustainability

Titanic Quarter is very conscious of the fact that the sustainable development agenda
represents big challenges and big opportunities for everyone in Northern Ireland,
particularly the business community. Those challenges are expressed within the
Government's Sustainable Development Strategy for Northern Ireland, "First Steps
Towards Sustainability", published in May 2006. Titanic Quarter aims to play its part in
supporting that Strategy.

That is why the principles of Sustainable Development underpin the regeneration of

Titanic Quarter, to transform it from a derelict site that was once the heart of industrial
Belfast, into an exciting, thriving and vibrant development that builds on its heritage to
create an asset that benefits the people of Belfast and the wider community in Northern
Ireland.

By integrating the principles of sustainability into its approach, Titanic Quarter Ltd is
committed to working together with its partners to maximise the social, economic and
environmental benefits that the redevelopment brings.

Whilst seeking to address the full range of issues that contribute to sustainability, Titanic
Quarter Ltd had identified six ‘headline' themes that can deliver the most significant
beneficial impacts and outcomes at the current stage of the development. These
include:

• Regeneration: To bring the former derelict shipbuilding site back into beneficial
use, reducing pressures on greenfield sites elsewhere, and creating a range of
employment, living and leisure opportunities through a mixed use development
based on sustainable development principles.
• Accessibility and Transportation: To ensure that Titanic Quarter becomes an
integral part of Belfast city centre and is easily accessible for work, living and
leisure to all sections of the community, supported by both a good public
transport system and the provision of facilities for both cyclists and pedestrians.

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• Heritage, Education and Leisure: To recognize and build upon the rich
heritage of the site, protecting significant buildings, infrastructure and artefacts,
and to develop educational and interpretive facilities that combine to create a
premiere learning and leisure environment, an educational resource for future
generations and a centre of excellence for research and development activities.
• Environmental protection: To address the environmental legacy of the site
caused by its heavy industrial past, through the seamless integration of
measures based on environmental and human health risk assessments into the
design, specification and construction of building and infrastructure works and by
encouraging sustainable procurement; to minimise off-site impacts by treating
contaminated soil on site, where practical, to produce secondary construction
materials thereby reducing the demand for virgin materials; and to specify and
source locally available, recyclable and environmentally responsible materials.
• Energy and Climate Change: To minimise carbon dioxide emissions by
reducing energy demand through careful design, siting and construction of
buildings which incorporate energy conservation measures, including passive
solar gain, high standards of insulation, and the use of combined heat and
power; to support renewable forms of energy particularly in community heating
systems; and to ensure buildings are not at risk from flooding due to predicted
sea level rises likely to occur as a result of climate change.
• Biodiversity: Recognising that Titanic Quarter is situated within the Belfast
Harbour Estate at the entrance to Belfast Lough and is therefore a significant
coastal/estuarine site, to support and improve biodiversity particularly through
the creation of landscaped areas and habitats on the site. This will be in line with
the Northern Ireland Biodiversity Strategy published by the Department of the
Environment in 2002.

Titanic Quarter Ltd, in implementing its Sustainability Strategy, will review these issues
on an ongoing basis, to ensure that its approach to sustainability is flexible and
responsive, adjusting to the priorities, needs and expectations of the development, the
stakeholders and the wider community and in line with the implementation of the
Northern Ireland Sustainable Development Strategy.

2.3Social responsibility

2.3.1Community

Although Titanic Quarter is creating a new urban centre in the heart of Belfast, it is also
establishing a new community that will be part of day-to-day life in the city. This will
encorporate fostering a sense of community, and ensuring that existing communities
can benefit from and be part of the development. Titanic Quarter's integrated approach
recognises the importance of the economic, social and regional cohesion aspects of
regeneration.

We are committed to engaging with the people of Belfast, particularly those from
socially disadvantaged communities, and encouraging them to avail of opportunities in

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 Belfast – Titanic Quarter

Titanic Quarter. To achieve this, we work with the public, private, voluntary and
community sector organisations to support Community, Employment and Employability
Initiatives.

2.3.2Community Initiatives

Titanic Quarter is working closely with relevant organisations throughout Belfast,

especially those in neighbouring east Belfast. Key partner organisations include
Belfast's five area-based Partnerships, the Department for Employment & Learning,
Belfast City Council and numerous voluntary and community based organisations.
Titanic Quarter is keen to keep local communities appraised of developments and to
ensure that it has strong physical links to the city centre, and arterial routes to the other
areas of the city.

Specific initiatives include support for the Newtownards Road 2012 project which is
helping regenerate one of Belfast's busiest arterial routes and strengthening links
between Titanic Quarter and east Belfast.

Titanic Quarter also recently assisted the West Belfast & Greater Shankill Enterprise
Council in its preparation of a business-led masterplan to help link West Belfast to the
city and Titanic Quarter.

East Belfast Partnership has secured funding from Titanic Quarter towards staff costs,
to help ensure east Belfast benefits from the regeneration of the Titanic Quarter area.

With Titanic Quarter's emergence as a desirable film making location for Hollywood
movie makers, including most recently Tom Hanks' ‘City of Ember', Titanic Quarter has
joined forces with Cinemagic and Fairplay Pictures to host masterclasses for young
people from all parts of the city.

Support has also been given to Titanic related events, including the Belfast Titanic
Society's ‘Titanic Achievement Awards'.

2.3.3Employment and Employability

It is anticipated that the regeneration of Titanic Quarter will result in more than 20,000
new jobs and 15,000 construction jobs. Titanic Quarter will offer a huge variety of
employment opportunities, particularly in light industries such as health and
environmental technology, ICT and the growing business, financial, hospitality, tourism,
leisure and ancillary service industries.

To help ensure that local communities can access jobs generated by Titanic Quarter we
are devising a detailed Employment and Employability Strategy to be published in mid
2008.

The strategy will set out how Titanic Quarter will engage with new employers locating in
the area and promote jobs to those seeking work, particularly the unemployed, long
term unemployed and economically inactive.

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 Belfast – Titanic Quarter

Titanic Quarter will work in partnership with the public sector and relevant community
and voluntary sector organisations to develop employability initiatives to help people
access jobs as they arise.

It is envisaged that the strategy will deliver a series of pre-recruitment training projects
specifically devised for Titanic Quarter employers with the aim of providing local people
with access to employment opportunities.

Titanic Quarter already partners initiatives such as the ‘Stepping Stones Project' to help
the economically inactive long term unemployed secure work and has also sponsored
the 2008 Gems NI Jobsfair.

The relocation of Belfast Metropolitan College, formerly BIFHE, to Titanic Quarter, is

also expected to play a key role in helping Titanic Quarter achieve its employment and
employability objectives

3.Telecommunications

A key benefit of the project is that was a virtual telecoms desert due to the nature of the
area, with not legacy network. With the area being held by a private landlord BT’s
minimal network was re-routed when roads changed route. BT were invited to access
the area via the Open Access Network (OAN) as they were unable to access the site
without the landlords express permission and appropriately negotiated Wayleaves.

The situation in Ireland is slightly easier than that on the mainland as BT do provide
duct and fibre share schemes, therefore the OAN as a wholesale approach was the
reverse situation.

Bytel provide the only Tier 1 gateway in NI and have a philosophy of providing services
to all and therefore became the natural choice to provide the backhaul and the ‘Point of
Presence’ for CP’s to connect into. Currently six providers are signed up.

Redstone provide the install /management and operations for the ‘last mile’ on behalf of
TQ Ltd and are precluded from providing services to End Users.

4.Current view

Citigroup and Microsoft have located on the science park with the creation of over 950
jobs to date which is expected to more than double.

@ June 2009 there were 6 x separate independent and competitive ISP/Service

Providers offering diverse services to initial Titanic Quarter customers, demonstrating
the Open Access Network model a success.

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Annex 1- Press cutting

http://www.planningni.gov.uk/index/news/news_releases/titanic_quarter.htm

Minister Hails Spirit of Co-operation Behind Titanic Quarter Planning Progress

The Titanic Quarter is a fine example of how developers and planners can work effectively
together to deliver key projects rapidly, Environment Minister Sammy Wilson argued today.
During a visit to the quarter in east Belfast, the Minister hailed the progress that had been made
in developing the area.
Mr Wilson claimed the spirit of co-operation between developers and planners boded well for
the development of the area in time for the Titanic Quarter Signature Project in 2012.
Mr Wilson said: “The Titanic Quarter Signature Project is a very welcome initiative at a
time when the economy has been under considerable pressure.
“Its construction over the next few years will give a much needed boost to the building
industry.
“The Executive is keen to take steps to stimulate and maintain economic growth and this is
concrete evidence of how my Department is playing its part.
“Titanic Quarter is a fine example of how the planning process can quickly deliver good
quality development when developers take the opportunity to discuss their proposals with
Planning Service before submitting applications and also take the advice given.”
Mr Wilson noted the Titanic Quarter application was processed within just six months, thanks to
meaningful pre-application discussions with stakeholders and consultees.
He continued: “The Planning Service would encourage more people in the private sector to
adopt this approach. The benefits are clear to see.
“The partnership we have seen here is still taking place and should ensure a significant
proportion of the area is developed in time for the opening of the Titanic Signature Project
in 2012.”
Mike Smith, Chief Executive of Titanic Quarter, expressed his satisfaction with the partnership
approach adopted with the Planning Service.
Mr Smith said: "We are delighted to receive planning permission for the Signature Project.
In particular, I would like to acknowledge the pro-active approach taken by Planning
Service in this application. Such an approach is good news for business, good news for the
economy and something which augurs well for other major development projects in Titanic
Quarter and throughout Northern Ireland."

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