Members of Parliament are among a host of dignitaries, including UK experts in planning, housing, developers and builders, invited to join Take Back the City campaigners at an event in central London in collaboration with Town and Country Planning Association next week. The event, sponsored by Northcot Brick Ltd, commemorates the coalition’s recently published plans for homes and businesses for the 25 acre Mackie’s site described as being ‘of European and international significance’.
Take Back the City is a coalition of homeless families and experts from the world of planning, design, architecture and development who have worked together to develop plans for over 30,000 sqm employment space and more than 500 homes on a vacant publicly owned site at the former 13ha Mackie’s site in west Belfast. The coalition is led by Participation and the Practice of Rights, a Belfast based human rights ngo, which has spent years campaigning for an increase in social housing in the city, including through using vacant publicly-owned land.
The Town and Country Planning Association, which is dedicated to creating healthy, sustainable and resilient places that are fair for everyone, has supported the coalition for a number of years. Hugh Ellis, Director of Policy at the Town and Country Planning Association said: “This is the most exciting project I have ever been involved with professionally. I think political parties, planners and Northern Ireland government departments must consider the potential that these plans have to deliver on their objectives – tackling homelessness, addressing climate change and boosting the economy, as well as enabling people to live together in what remains a divided city. The fact that this land is owned by public bodies provides the perfect opportunity for them to develop really innovative solutions like this masterplan.”
London based Matthew Lloyd Architects was commissioned to design the masterplan for the site after winning a prestigious international urban design competition launched by Take Back the City in 2022. The brief incorporated six principles developed by homeless young people for developing the Mackie’s site, including sustainability, inclusivity, health and co-creation in the design process. Matthew said of the designs: “We wanted to provide warm, good quality sustainable homes as well as providing an environment which connects people to nature and to their community. The blend of employment space and homes which we have created responds specifically to local needs.”
Last week, Take Back the City opened doors to homeless families and local communities to comment on the plans in a public consultation – the first time a community group has run this kind of process in Northern Ireland.
Marissa McMahon, an organiser with Take Back the City said: “This event in London is a landmark for the campaign. We were delighted to have attracted so much support for our plans in Belfast last week and this is the next step in raising awareness of the housing crisis and our plans to provide a solution.
“Everyone knows that Belfast is in the grip of a housing crisis. There are over 12,000 families who are on the waiting list for social housing in the city. The Mackie’s site is right in the middle of the area of highest housing need anywhere in the north and has an enormous potential to tackle homelessness and housing stress. Our families and the experts who are helping them have come up with a tailor made solution; now the onus is on our politicians and public bodies to back them. We’d welcome anyone who wants to help to be a part of this process.”
Chloe Trew, Director at PPR, said: “This event comes hot on the heels of the draft Programme for Government announced by the Northern Ireland Executive last week that rightly recognises the need for more social and affordable housing to address the crisis we are in. The families we work alongside have developed a tailor-made solution for one of the areas of highest housing need and it’s just common sense for Ministers and political parties to back their plans for homes, jobs and sustainable communities.”
Kelvin McDonald, Adviser to Parliament on planning, will also speak at the event. He said: “What is so exciting about this project is how Take Back the City has informed its plan using the ideas of homeless families and those in housing stress. It is an exemplar of how we can really make planning work for people to respond to some of the most pressing issues facing our cities. I wish there were more examples of this kind of approach in the UK.”
Graham Irving of Northcot Brick Ltd said: “Northcot is delighted to be invited by Matthew Lloyd the architect, who has designed this wonderful project, to sponsor this event. We realise that due to the location of the project there are many political hurdles to still overcome and would like to add our support to all the people in Northern Ireland. Northcot hopes that progress can be made with Mackie’s to improve the quality and quantity of housing available and we look forward to meeting interested parties at what promises to be a wonderful event.”
The site, which has been largely vacant for over 20 years, is controlled by multiple owners, including Invest NI, Belfast City Council, Braidwater Homes and The Department for Communities – which has overall responsibility for housing policy.
