The private sector has invested £730m in Belfast and created 5,855 jobs, according to the first report by Belfast Agenda.
The city’s first community plan, the Belfast Agenda was launched two years ago by Belfast City Council. It had targets to create 46,000 new jobs and attract 66,000 additional residents by 2035.
The newly published report includes an update on more than 25 key targets for priority. These relate to economic development, competitiveness, sustainability, education and skills development.
Belfast’s economy supports nearly a third of all jobs in Northern Ireland, with 92,000 people currently commuting into the city on a daily basis.
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The report also states that Northern Ireland is the leading UK region outside of London for attracting inward investment. Belfast is the world’s top destination city for tech investments within financial services outside of London, although the Belfast region and Northern Ireland lag behind the UK in productivity.
Northern Ireland has been described as the second fastest growing knowledge economy in the UK. Since 2017, 9,300 residents were supported through employability and skills programmes.
In other reports from during the year, Belfast has also prevailed. It was selected as one of the best UK cities to work in for tech by Tech Nation, and was ranked third fintech location of the future for 2019/20 by fDi magazine.
Chair of Belfast City Council’s Strategic Policy and Resource Committee, Ald. Brian Kingston said: “This Statement of Progress highlights just how far we have come as a city in the last two years. The report reveals that £775m has been invested in our neighbourhoods, the private sector has invested £730m in the city, and we have secured an additional £850 million Belfast Region City Deal since 2017.
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“In that same period, 5,855 jobs were created, Belfast has added 830,000 square feet of new Grade A office space, the tourism sector has benefited from an additional 3,000 hotel beds, the proportion of waste going to landfill has reduced from 42% to 36%, and sustainable transport has increased by 6% to 41% of all journeys in Belfast.
“Collectively as a city we are committed to ensuring that no one is left behind, so inclusive growth principles underpin everything we do.”
Source: The Newsletter
