Since its establishment in 2018, the BID has delivered almost £5 million in improvements
LQ BID has announced the appointment of five new board members to help advance its strategic vision. Joining are Avril Keys (BBC), Jeanette Donohoe (Cleaver Fulton Rankin), Orla Farquharson (Limelight), Paul Roberts (Community Places NI), and Ruairi McLaughlin (Voco Hotel). Together, they bring a wealth of insight from media, legal, hospitality and charity sectors – valued experience that will support existing members of the board to bring continued improvements across the Linen Quarter.
These new members join an established board of 16, including Sarah Cull as Chair (Danske Bank, Chair), Colin Mountstephen as Deputy Chair (Deloitte) and Fearghal McKinney as Treasurer (British Heart Foundation).
Chris McCracken, Managing Director of LQ BID, welcomed the appointments. He said, “The wealth of expertise across our newly appointed board members marks an exciting new chapter for our vision of a Belfast that makes sense for everyone. Their strategic vision, commercial acumen and business networks will support us as we continue to contribute placemaking initiatives that benefit the Linen Quarter, and wider city centre, across regeneration, animation, safety, connectivity, sustainability and wellbeing. We’d also like to extend our sincere thanks to outgoing board director Karen Blair of Cleaver Fulton Rankin for her invaluable support in recent years.”
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Sarah Cull, Chair of LQ BID, added, “These new appointments bring a fresh energy that will be instrumental in shaping the future of the Linen Quarter and our many improvements across the public realm. Their insight will help us bring continued value to our 300 member organisations and we look forward to their contribution as we build on the strong foundations already in place with city decision makers to ensure the Linen Quarter remains a thriving hub for business, culture, and investment.”
The historic Linen Quarter, the area stretching from City Hall to Shaftesbury Square, is home to more than 300 organisations such as Deloitte, Invest NI and various Governmental departments, with Kainos’ 14-storey office block currently under construction on the Dublin Road. It is rapidly becoming one of the most vibrant, must-visit areas of the city with 40 cafés, bars and restaurants, a dozen hotels, three major music venues and some of the best street art the city has to offer, including the largest mural in Ireland.
The BID’s role is centred on placemaking which takes a people-centred approach to city planning and developments.
Chris concluded, “We need to continue to think imaginatively to restore economic vitality to Belfast – the city is not without its challenges, but with continued investment we can unlock its full potential. We continue to deliver pioneering improvements across the Linen Quarter that
bring the people who work, live and socialise here greater enjoyment, improved wellbeing, and a sense of belonging. Since our inception, we have delivered £4 million worth of improvements across more than 30 projects including a dedicated police officer transforming safety measures in the area, a clean team who maintain the area’s pleasant aesthetic, revitalisation initiatives such as planting, and of course major investment in the public realm including our recent transformation of Blackstaff Square from an area known for antisocial behaviour into a vibrant outdoor social space.”
Plans are afoot to continue to enhance the Square to include a pavement café stretching from the Crown Liquor Saloon onto Great Victoria Street and Brunswick Street. The concept has the potential to become an iconic plaza similar to that in Paris, Amsterdam, Barcelona.
The BID also recently announced the end of its lease at Bankmore Square. The BID’s £128,000 investment transformed the area into thriving green social space with public seating, a wildflower garden, and a central reservation for events. Over the past two years, the scheme demonstrated the important role of city BIDs with thousands of people and nature benefitting from space being put to better use. For more information on LQ BID and its commitments, visit linenquarter.org.
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