Executive must show "vision and ambition" for whole of Greater Belfast - Parsley

6.26.00pm BST (GMT +0100) Sat 24th May 2008

Alliance Party Economy spokesperson Ian James Parsley

Alliance Party Economy spokesperson Ian James Parsley has said the Executive must demonstrate its commitment to the economy by prioritising policies which would turn the Greater Belfast region into a serious international competitor.

The North Down Councillor stated: "There are only so many jobs and facilities the city centre can reasonably be expected to sustain. The city centre area is thriving, but it does not have the critical mass of people to compete with major European urban centres elsewhere, nor does it have space for further traffic growth. The Executive's policies must prioritise other urban areas around Belfast as strong locations for provision of world-class leisure facilities, hi-tech jobs, and modern public transport links.

"Our objective must be to deliver world-class, accessible leisure facilities not just in the city centre, but in suburban areas too. This would serve to break down the 'silo mentality' which understandably still exists, at great cost to our society. The objective should be to ensure first-rate theatres, swimming pools and indeed stadiums are provided - the precise location need not be a problem provided it is accessible.

"In turn, we must work to make our suburbs genuine business hubs, with focus on certain services. Holywood is already well established as a leading location for professional services, such as estate agents and PR. There is no reason other towns in the 'Belfast belt' cannot replicate this for other growing industries, particularly in the service sector - in finance, insurance, or advertising. We need not depend on industrial estates within the Belfast City boundary to achieve this.

"To reach our goal, we also need to show ambition with regard to our public transport links. The number of cars entering the city centre daily has risen almost 50% in the last ten years - this is unsustainable by any definition. Therefore, we need more jobs outside the city centre, and more ways to access different locations by public transport.

"Belfast City Council, taken alone, has only 270,000 residents - typical of a large town in most of Europe. However, including the hinterland, this figure rises to nearer 700,000, making the city a serious player for leisure, investment and tourism. The Executive must not allow its lack of vision and ambition to hinder the great progress already made in that direction."

ENDS