BBC clarifies link to new Belfast attraction

The BBC has said there have been "misunderstandings" over its possible role in a planned new visitor attraction in Belfast.

Sinn Féin has expressed its opposition to the BBC becoming an "anchor tenant" at the proposed new Belfast Stories building in the city centre.

However, the director of BBC Northern Ireland, Adam Smyth, has played down the corporation's part in the overall project.

"It's not the BBC who's telling the stories of Belfast, that's for others to do," said Smyth.

He was speaking in an interview with the communications consultancy Cavendish on the future of BBC Northern Ireland.

The £100m council development, entitled Belfast Stories, is due to open by 2030.

It will be based at the site of the former Bank of Ireland building at the Royal Avenue/North Street junction, and use words, pictures and sounds to illustrate the city's past, present and future.

Included in the plan is an event space which the BBC, and other organisations, could potentially use as a TV studio.

In his first interview about the BBC's link to Belfast Stories, Smyth outlined the corporation's interest in the project.

He said: "There's a visitor attraction that is to be part of that development.

"We aren't involved in that. Just to be clear about that, we are happy to help with the archive resources etc that we have to partner with Belfast City Council and Northern Ireland Screen and others to assist in any way we can but we're not responsible for that and we're not seeking to be.

"If they want to lean into the content that we've created over many years that has been about storytelling, that's absolutely fine.

"But just to be clear, we are talking here about a 'space within a space' and we are talking about whether the very successful work that we have done in studio production in Northern Ireland could be extended and productions go into Belfast Stories."

He added that 80% of production work for the BBC is delivered by independent companies.

"We're trying to supercharge the local economy, the local creative economy, local creative sector to deliver more studio production in the future," he said.

Opposition to the BBC was expressed at the most recent full meeting of Belfast City Council by Sinn Féin's Áine McCabe.

She said: "I'm astounded that the majority in this chamber think the possibility of the BBC as an anchor tenant as part of the flagship civic project Belfast Stories is the way forward for such a project in our city, led by Belfast City Council."

She was then interrupted by a senior council official who said discussion of the matter should take place in private, and members of the media were asked to leave the chamber.

Issues which involve commercial and financial matters are usually debated behind closed doors until final decisions are made.

Sinn Féin is the largest party on Belfast City Council but it does not have an overall majority.

The party has not explained in public its opposition to the BBC's involvement.

A spokesperson said the party would not be making any comment until a final agreement on the project had been reached at the council.

The aim is to begin construction of Belfast Stories in 2027.

Plans to turn the old building, which dates back to the 1920s, into a modern visitor attraction were first revealed five years ago.

Once completed, it is hoped Belfast Stories might attract around 700,000 visitors a year.

Belfast Stories will create a second major attraction in the city along with the Titanic Belfast visitor centre.