Belfast City Council has announced a new Department for Infrastructure funded initiative to create a new greener city centre.

The Council is inviting expressions of interest from Belfast businesses, social enterprises, charities and schools that want to help 'green' the city centre by introducing trees, plants, vegetation and flowers and encouraging biodiversity.

Up to 10 sustainable greening projects in Belfast city centre could be eligible for a capital grant between £3,000 and £30,000. And further small grants between £500 and £3,000 may also be available to support future small scale city centre greening projects.

Councillor Ryan Murphy, Chair of Belfast City Council's City Growth and Regeneration Committee explained: "We're putting out this call for Grey to Green expressions of interest to see how many Belfast groups and organisations would like to introduce trees, plants, flowers and even vegetables into our city centre, with the help of some funding – and to help identify potential locations.

"We've made a commitment in our Bolder Vision for Belfast that we'll make the city greener – to improve our quality of life, help combat pollution, make a positive contribution to our environment and encourage people to spend more time in the city centre.  We'd like to hear from groups and organisations who'd be keen to help us – by installing structures to help plants grow vertically on building facades, exterior walls or hoarding, developing urban gardens in derelict sites or introducing wildlife."

There will be an online Grey to Green information session at 12:30pm on Tuesday 29 November to provide further detail and answer any questions that groups may have. To register to attend, or to request an expression of interest questionnaire, email belfasti@belfastcity.gov.uk.

The closing date for returning an expression of interest is 4pm on Monday 12 December 2022.

For further information, go to www.belfastcity.gov.uk/greytogreen.