Permission Granted for £10m Belfast Office Space

Planning permission for a 25,000 square foot Belfast office space development has been granted.

The new five-storey office building is to be situated on Belfast Harbour, and marks the city's biggest planning approval since 2007. It represents the first phase of a mass redevelopment project that will eventually run to a cost of £250 million.

A contractor is to be appointed for the building, to be known as CQ1 (City Quays 1), with construction due to be completed within a year.

Roy Adair, Belfast Harbour's chief executive, said: "CQ1 Is the city-ward extension of the Clarendon Dock which is already home to a number of high-profile occupants such as Intel, Capita, and Grant Thornton."

“This investment, funded entirely by Belfast Harbour, will meet the needs of emerging demand and we have already been exploring a number of strong leads in sectors such as IT and financial services."

Belfast Harbour has worked closely with Invest NI to address the continued gap in Grade A office space in the city centre. The construction plan would be “a timely reminder” ahead of next week’s special Northern Ireland investment conference, with British prime minister David Cameron, that the region is serious about securing more inward investors.

“CQ1 will be the largest office to be built in Belfast since 2009 and it’s a timely reminder ahead of next week’s investment conference with the Prime Minister that Northern Ireland is serious about securing more inward investors.”

Graeme Johnston, the Harbour’s Property Director said CQ1, designed by Northern Ireland based RPP architects, will complement Titanic Quarter and the Northern Ireland Science Park as part of the wider 2,000-acre Habour Estate.