Neighbourhood Renewal

Under the Government’s People and Place strategy, 36 urban neighbourhoods across the North have been designated as Neighbourhood Renewal Areas (NRAs). The 36 NRAs are organised within North West Development Office, Regional Development Office and Belfast Regeneration Office.

Neighbourhood Renewal Areas (NRAs) are neighbourhoods identified as experiencing the most severe and highest levels of multiple deprivation and are the focus of urban regeneration programmes under specific themes, whilst being chosen to receive support under the Department for Communities People and Place strategy for Neighbourhood Renewal. On following links, you can view Statistics or Interactive Content on each theme. You can also view a list of all datasets and interactive content, by theme and subtheme, available on NINIS.

Under the People and Place Strategy, which is currently under review, Neighbourhood Renewal Partnerships have been key to creating local plans to improve everyday life for people in these areas. Statistical and further information on these neighbourhoods is available by clicking the following link on Neighbourhood Renewal Areas contained within the NINIS website.

At WBPB we host the West Belfast Neighbourhood Renewal Forum. The Forum brings together the Chairpersons and representatives from each Neighbourhood Partnership in west Belfast. The Forum also includes two members of the West Belfast Partnership and two seats are reserved for wider thematic interest groups in the west of the city.

The Forum provides practical support and assistance to those working on Neighbourhood Renewal in west Belfast and has been at the forefront of the Community Response in tackling Covid19 by assisting the most vulnerable and those deemed in need across west Belfast.

In response to the Covid19 Pandemic, over the 12 months the Forum, which represents the collective voice for West Belfast Neighbourhood Partnerships regarding issues of Neighbourhood Renewal and regeneration has been instrumental in lobby for funding, procuring, packaging and delivering much needed household supplies for those most in need across west Belfast and beyond.

As mentioned, Neighbourhood Renewal is the Government’s policy to address urban regeneration and focuses on areas that fall within the worst 10 per cent in terms of multiple deprivation.  The Department for Social Development is the primary driver of the policy, but it seeks to involve the co-operation of all government departments.

The two overarching goals for Neighbourhood Renewal are:

• To ensure people in the most deprived neighbourhoods, access the best possible services, get opportunities for a better quality of life and have brighter prospects for themselves and their families.
• To improve the environment and image of our most deprived neighbourhoods, helping them become attractive places to live and invest.

Government cuts are beginning to bite and the community sector are feeling the pinch. Improved service delivery, collaboration, efficiencies have been the buzz words for the past year.  

Neighbourhood Partnerships throughout west Belfast have re-examined their local community priorities and services to ensure they meet local need.  This has been painstaking work, especially in an economic climate where cuts are the order of the day and with impending local government reform.

The WBPB has worked to support the Neighbourhood Partnerships in this work and have lobbied politicians on the need to support essential investment in communities. The WBPB ensures that Neighbourhood Partnerships are represented on our Board.

For further information on the Department for Communities’ Neighbourhood Renewal Strategy click here, or you can also visit the NRA FAQ section on the NINIS website.