The new University of Ulster proposals may be celebrated as Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios’ largest project to date (News March 15). However, are the original partners fully aware of what the FCB “B team” in Belfast is planning?

Feilden Clegg Bradley, University of Ulster

Feilden Clegg Bradley’s £250 million campus for the University of Ulster in Belfast

The building claims to blur boundaries. It is, however, more akin to a tall shopping centre, with everyone “captured” away from the city’s streets.
Some of those streets bound the poorest areas of inner north Belfast. Rather than address these by completing the urban block, the team has effectively built a glass wall that rises to 50m. This bulk will block winter sunlight to nearby housing and will blight urban renewal into north Belfast.

In a final insult FCB has placed a “drive-in” bin store facing Clifton House — the oldest public building in the city, itself a rare beacon in these deprived neighbourhoods. If turning its back physically and symbolically on north Belfast was not bad enough, ask FCB to show you its six-storey aluminium-clad car park proposal on a site allocated for social housing. Thankfully this was squashed by community action.

The truth is that many have felt a “gun held to their head” in planning terms regarding this proposal — the investment is badly needed. I would suggest the respected partners in FCB take a closer look and engage with the city.

Mark Hackett
Belfast

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