30–34 North Street is located in the North East Quarter of Belfast City Centre, a short distance from Royal Avenue and adjacent to the broader regeneration area associated with the Tribeca Belfast masterplan. The site covers approximately 0.0684 hectares and lies within a strategically important location for urban regeneration.

Current Use

The site comprises an office building constructed during the 1980s, with ground-floor retail units that previously accommodated local businesses, including Petz Pet Supplies and North Street Mini Market. These retail units were closed in anticipation of redevelopment, and as of the most recent reports, the building is now derelict and not in active use.

Historical Use

Since its construction in the 1980s, the building has served primarily as office accommodation, supplemented by retail activity at street level. For several decades, it contributed to the small-scale commercial life of North Street, catering to pedestrian footfall between the retail core of the city and the adjacent Cathedral Quarter. However, as part of city centre regeneration efforts, the building became earmarked for redevelopment and ceased to operate commercially.

Future Proposals

In December 2017, PG Ltd, a subsidiary of Castlebrooke Investments, submitted a planning application (LA04/2018/0007/F) seeking demolition of the existing building and the creation of a temporary development made from repurposed shipping containers. These containers were proposed to accommodate flexible retail, restaurant, and café uses over a five-year period.

The proposal envisioned:

• Two container blocks, each up to two storeys in height

• A mix of small retail units, café/restaurant spaces, and kiosks

• External decked terraces and walkways on the first floor of each block

• Outdoor seating areas to enhance street-level engagement

• A single-storey service block housing ancillary WC facilities for public and staff use

This temporary scheme was intended as a placemaking intervention to activate the site while the wider Tribeca Belfast development progressed. The flexibility of container-based units was designed to attract independent traders and local hospitality businesses, supporting interim economic activity and improving the visual and functional quality of a derelict site.

In March 2024, PG Ltd submitted a planning application (LA04/2024/0427/F) to renew the previous permission for this temporary container development. This application was withdrawn in March 2025.