Belfast Harbour has received planning approval for a 7,700sq m office development.

It is the biggest city-centre planning approval since 2007 and represents the first phase of a £250 million (€295 million) mixed-use, office-led scheme known as City Quays.

The new £10 million five-storey building will be known as CQ1 (City Quays 1) and situated on the waterfront near Belfast Harbour Office. A contractor is being appointed to start construction later this month with completion due by this time next year.

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

He added that Belfast Harbour has been working closely with inward investment agency Invest NI to address the gap in Grade A office space in Belfast city centre and CQ1 will be available for a full range of commercial office uses. "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," he added. 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.

The City Quays area was master-planned by London-based award-winning architect Sir Nicholas Grimshaw. The wider City Quays development will include a mix of commercial offices, shops, cafes, restaurants, hotel space and residential accommodation. CQ1, designed by Northern Ireland-based RPP architects, will complement the Titanic Quarter and the Northern Ireland Science Park as part of the wider 2,000-acre Harbour Estate.