Architect Building Design Partnership has helped to produce an "action plan" to regenerate north Belfast, an area of the city where deprivation is exacerbated by sectarian tension.
Proposals include the construction of a centre for citizenship at the former Crumlin Road jail, a grade I-listed building. This would provide the centrepiece of a mixed-use scheme on adjacent lands, including a "music action zone" for young people, which would contain an international percussion school.

The plan has been drawn up by the North Belfast Community Action Project, a three-man team appointed by the government to propose solutions for the area. It comprises Reverend John Dunlop and Monsignor Tom Toner, community leaders, and Roy Adams, chief executive of BDP and himself an Ulsterman.

As part of its solution, the team recommended the creation of a dedicated unit in the government of Northern Ireland to oversee the project. It also suggests public funding of £3m a year for the creation of community empowerment partnerships, which would enable local communities to work with state agencies on the details of the regeneration plan.

We cannot overstate the significance of the problems in north Belfast or their potential to destabilise other areas

Rev John Dunlop, project chairman

The report said funding could be required for up to five years, although a review period could be called after three The regeneration project was chaired by Rev Dunlop, who conceded that other communities might question why north Belfast has been singled out for this work. He said: "We cannot overstate the significance of the problems of the area or their potential to destabilise other parts of Belfast and Northern Ireland."

BDP was appointed in December to address the problems of community tension and violence in the area.