The site

• Where is the site located?

  The site is located at the northern end of Royal Avenue, between Donegall Street and Library Street, an area of Belfast now characterised by former warehouses and large civic buildings. The site lies between the Ulster University Campus and Belfast Central library.

• How big is the site?

  1 Acre

• What is the site currently used for?

  The majority of the site is not currently in use following the end of The Belfast Telegraph’s printing operations in 2016. However, we have attracted some interim uses to the site:

  • Digital Catapult Immersive Technology Hub
  • Entertainment and conference venue in the former print hall.
• Where is the Belfast Telegraph based now?

  The sale of the building was completed by the LLP in October 2016, The Belfast Telegraph had vacated the building shortly before this time. The Belfast Telegraph office is now based in Clarendon Dock, Belfast and their printing operations are now located in Newry.

• What is the Sixth?

  ‘The Sixth’, is the new name for the former Belfast Telegraph building. A name inspired by the call of the newspaper’s street vendors whose call of “Sixth Late Tele” when selling the evening edition was familiar throughout Belfast for more than a century.

The development proposals

• What is proposed?

  The former Belfast Telegraph building, now known as The Sixth is being regenerated and revitalised with circa 30,000 square metres of commercial space, including state-of-the-art creative workspace, and ‘active’ ground floor uses such as cafes, restaurants and retail.

  The proposed development will seek planning permission for the demolition of the existing building (minus the Grade B2 listed building) and the redevelopment of the site for grade A offices, ‘active’ ground floor retail / and café / bars.

• What will happen to the listed building?

  The Grade B2 listed building is a key part of our designs for the site. A listed building consent application will be submitted for the proposed internal and external works to the listed building.

• How much money is being invested in The Sixth?

  Upon completion the project will have an estimated final investment value of £75 million.

• Will there be a residential element of The Sixth?

  The planning application will not include provision of any residential buildings.

• How big is the proposed development?

  The proposed development includes circa 30,000 sq m of gross floor space, excluding the basement. The basement will measure around 3,500 sq m.

• Who is funding the proposed development?

  The project remains in an early stage of development and the future funding arrangements are under consideration. We are not in a position to confirm the funding arrangements at this early stage in the process.

• Will parking be provided?

  It is proposed that parking will be provided within the basement of the proposed building. The amount of parking will be agreed through the planning process.

• Do you have a tenant lined up for The Sixth?

  Bel Tel LLP are currently undertaking conversations with potential tenants. The LLP have appointed Lisney and CBRE to market the development.

The local area

• What is the need for The Sixth?

  The Sixth is recognised as a key regeneration project for the city centre. It will be the next big investment in the city, which will add to the growing creative district in this part of town.

• What is the creative district?

  This is the latest phase of regeneration in Belfast City Centre. Based around the new University of Ulster Campus, the creative district will provide opportunities for what is one of the city’s fastest growing sectors

• Is this project related to new premises for BBC NI HQ?

  The LLP is looking forward to producing a high class development that builds on the synergies of this part of the city. It would not be appropriate at this time to comment on any relocation process which may be run by the BBC.

• Isn’t Belfast already a creative city?

  There are currently over 1,300 creative businesses based in the city employing over 21,000 people. The Sixth will provide a focal point for the sector; a new visible home for the sector to grow.

• What vehicular access is proposed?

  Vehicle access to the site is already available via Library Street and Donegall Street. Our proposals will seek to retain vehicular to the site.

• Is the site well connected to the local area?

  The site is located within a highly sustainable location, within walking and cycling distance to some of the city’s key transport nodes including Central Station and the Europa Bus and Train Station. Local bus services are accessible in the immediate area as are a number of Belfast bikes docking stations.

Design and appearance

• Who designed the proposed building?

  Alford Hall Monaghan Morris (AHMM), a Stirling prize winning architectural practice, has been appointed. AHMM is a multi-award winning architectural practice with vast experience of transforming existing buildings into contemporary workspaces. AHMM is also a pioneer of defining new workplaces with experience of creating a new generation of flexible office and mixed-use space.

• What are the key design principles?

  The design will seek to create a new type of premium workspace currently not provided in Belfast city centre.

• What will the building look like?

  The Grade B2 Listed Building will be rejuvenated and the designs include the restoration of some features that have been removed or lost from the original building such the access point onto Royal Avenue and re-introduction of a form of dormer windows.

  The design proposals will continue to evolve throughout the pre-application process, but to date they have been informed by the listed building present on the site and the surrounding built heritage. The proposed new build will be x metres / storeys tall, smaller in height than the adjacent Ulster University campus building, when completed.

Heritage

• How old is the Bel Tel building?

  The original building was built in 1886 by Henry Seaver. The original building has been extended several times and now forms part of a complex of attached and interconnected buildings, the earliest of which (to Library Street and Little Donegal Street) were constructed in the early 20th century (1907, 1911 and 1926). Adjoining at the north is a further extension. This is much later in date and likely to have been constructed in the 1990s. To the east facing Royal Avenue is the late 20th century glazed extension, dating to c.1975-1980s.

• Is the current building listed?

  The original part of the Bel Tel building is Grade B2 listed and protected under the Planning Act (NI) 2011. This building will remain and we will seek full planning permission and listed building consent for the proposed restoration of this.

• What listed buildings are nearby?

  The site is located in the vicinity of the Cathedral Conservation area. There adjacent Central Library and ‘Frames’ buildings are also listed.

• Will the proposed development have an adverse effect on the settings of these buildings?

  The Sixth will be designed to respect surrounding heritage assets. We will be in close discussions with the Historic Environment Division about the design of our scheme particularly in relation to built heritage.

Construction

• How long will it take to construct The Sixth?

  There will be a 2 year build programme.

• When will construction start / the project to be complete?

  We anticipate achieving planning permission by the end of 2018 and to begin construction as soon as possible after that subject to securing a funding package and pre-let.

• Who will manage the construction?

  McAleer and Rushe will be the construction contractor.

• Will local traders be used?

  Yes. McAleer and Rushe is a local firm responsible for the successful delivery of many large scale commercial development projects using local traders as much as possible and will work with Belfast City Council to identify supply chain opportunities locally.

• What provisions will be put in place to ensure the effects of construction are kept to a minimum?

  McAleer and Rushe are experienced in delivering large scale city centre schemes and in doing so, ensure there is minimal disruption to surrounding neighbours.

Benefits

• How many jobs will be created by The Sixth?

  It is anticipated that The Sixth will create 2,000 jobs and contribute XXX GVA (BCC to consider via Economic Development Unit) to the local economy each year, it is also estimated that a further 650 construction jobs will be created during redevelopment.

• What other revenue would The Sixth generate for Belfast?

  TBC It is estimated that the office space will generate £XX (Paul to estimate what this might be) in business rates, which will encourage further reinvestment and regeneration

• What other benefits will The Sixth provide?

  The Sixth will rejuvenate a vacant heritage asset in the north of the city centre while redeveloping the rest of the site with an exciting new home for media, creative and digital sectors in the city.

  The Sixth will be the first phase of the regeneration of the Inner North of the city centre. The development will seek to create an accessible and permeable development that people from nearby by communities can access (for example the active ground floor uses: cafes, shops etc) as well as people visiting business within the new build.

  The Library Square public space, proposed as part of Streets Ahead Phase 3, will be located between The Sixth and Central Library. Our designs will support the development library Square as a vibrant destination in this part of the city.

  We anticipate a conversation about Section 76 (Developer Contribution) as part of the planning process.

The Project team

• Who are Bel Tel LLP?

  Bel Tell LLP is a joint venture between Belfast City Council and McAleer & Rushe. The partnership is the first joint venture by the Council with a private company to undertake development within the city centre.

• Who are McAleer & Rushe?

  McAleer & Rushe is one of the UK's largest development, design and build construction companies with 50 years of experience, including experience in Belfast.

• What builds have they managed in Belfast?

  They have managed a number of high-profile builds in Belfast including Ulster Bank, Great Northern Tower and 9 Adelaide Street as well as new office buildings in the Linen Quarter. Current construction projects include purpose built managed student accommodation at College Avenue and McClintock Street.

• Who else is included in the project team?

  Belfast based planning consultancy Turley will provide planning, heritage and engagement advice during the pre-application stages. Other members of the project team include Todd Architects and ARUP.

Consultation and feedback

• How are you proposing to consult on the plans?

  The applicant will consult on the plans in accordance with planning policy. Pre application community consultation will be undertaken for a minimum of 12 week. A public information event will be held at The Belfast telegraph Site at 124-144 Royal Avenue on 8th March 2018. This will be advertised in a local newspaper 7 days prior to the event and via a leaflet drop. We will also be speking directly to other stakeholders and community representatives in the area.

• How can I submit my comments?

  Comments can be submitted at the public exhibition, via the dedicated consultation website (www.thesixthbelfast.com), by email (thesixth@turley.co.uk) or by post to Turley, 3 Joy Street, Belfast, MT2 8LE

• How long do I have to comment?

  TBC Comments will be received up to 25th April 2018.

• What will happen to my comments?

  All comments will be reviewed and considered by the development team. All feedback received will be summarised in a Pre-application Community Consultation Report, that will be submitted as part of the planning application.

• Will Belfast City Council also consult on the plans?

  Once the application has been submitted, Belfast City Council Planning Authority will carry out a further period of neighbour notification as part of the planning process before a decision is made.

• When will the planning application be submitted?

  A planning application is expected to be submitted to Belfast City Council in April 2018.

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