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  • Marine Licence Applications for Cruise Berthing Facilities at D3, Belfast Harbour Estate

    Topics:
    • Marine, 
    • Marine licensing and permits

    Date published: 11 December 2025

    Last updated: 11 December 2025

    The project is for the construction of a new multi-purpose facility for berthing of cruise ships and for lay-by and transient storage of project cargo, break bulk & dry bulk during cruise ship off-season.

    This project is subject to an Environmental Impact Assessment, and an Environmental Statement has been prepared.

    Proposal Description

    • Reference: ML2025053, ML2025054, ML2025055
    • Project Type: Construction, Capital Dredge, Sea Disposal
    • Location: Lands commonly known as D3, within Belfast Harbour Estate, opposite Victoria Terminal 4
    • Coordinates: Works to take place within the rectilinear boundary of the four coordinates below:

    Point A 337201, 378095

    Point B 337417, 378667

    Point C 337430, 378501

    Point D 337176, 378147

    • Project Description:  This project involves three separate marine licence applications:

    ML2025053: Marine Construction Licence for the construction of the marine aspects of the project.  Development comprises the construction of 340m long solid quay with mooring dolphins, located at D3, within Belfast Harbour Estate, opposite Victoria Terminal 4.


    ML2025054: Marine Capital Dredge Licence for the creation of a berthing pocket adjacent to D3 within Belfast Harbour Estate, by dredging to -9.8mCD, removing approximately 372,000m³ of material, with dredge works centered on Irish National Grid 337267 E, 378353 N  


    ML2025055: Marine Capital Dredge Sea Disposal Licence for the disposal of dredged material at the North Channel Disposal Ground, located within a 0.2 nautical mile radius of 54° 45.3’N 05° 29.6’W  

    • Applicant: Belfast Harbour Commissioners
    • Status: Under Consideration
    • Date Issued:
    • Licence Start Date:
    • Licence End Date:

    Application documents:

    1. Marine Construction Licence Application Form
    2. Marine Capital Dredge Licence Application Form
    3. Marine Sea Disposal Licence Application Form
    4. sHRA
    5. WFD Assessment
    6. Non-Technical Summary
    7. Site Location Plan
    8. Environmental Statement :

      - Chapters 1 - 20 (20 documents)

      - Appendices 1.1 - 19.1 (35 documents)

      - Figures 5.1 - 13.2 (13 documents)

    Documents

    • Marine Construction Licence Application FormAdobe PDF (453.61 KB)
    • Marine Capital Dredge Licence Application Form Adobe PDF (302.48 KB)
    • Marine Dredge Sea Disposal Licence Application FormAdobe PDF (329.75 KB)
    • sHRAAdobe PDF (9.08 MB)
    • WFD AssessmentAdobe PDF (592.25 KB)
    • Non-Technical SummaryAdobe PDF (2.42 MB)
    • Site Location PlanAdobe PDF (827.35 KB)
    • ES - Chapter 1 - Introduction & Project Description Adobe PDF (2.13 MB)
    • ES - Chapter 2 - Alternatives & Site Selection - New FormatAdobe PDF (144.28 KB)
    • ES - Chapter 3 - Project Scoping Adobe PDF (147.22 KB)
    • ES - Chapter 4 - Policies & PlansAdobe PDF (157.35 KB)
    • ES - Chapter 5 - Landscape & VisualAdobe PDF (363.07 KB)
    • ES - Chapter 6 - Marine EcologyAdobe PDF (4.73 MB)
    • ES - Chapter 7 - Air QualityAdobe PDF (780 KB)
    • ES - Chapter 8 - Noise and VibrationAdobe PDF (547.72 KB)
    • ES - Chapter 9 - Terrestrial Ecology and OrnithologyAdobe PDF (7.65 MB)
    • ES - Chapter 10 - Flood Risk Water Quality Adobe PDF (2.46 MB)
    • ES - Chapter 11 - Coastal Processes and Hydrodynamic ModellingAdobe PDF (23.19 MB)
    • ES - Chapter 12 - Contaminated LandAdobe PDF (355.92 KB)
    • ES - Chapter 13 - Artificial LightingAdobe PDF (1.33 MB)
    • ES - Chapter 14 - Traffic and TransportAdobe PDF (871.24 KB)
    • ES - Chapter 15 - Marine Archaeology & Cultural HeritageAdobe PDF (384.6 KB)
    • ES - Chapter 16 - Socio-EconomicsAdobe PDF (404.6 KB)
    • ES - Chapter 17 - Climate ChangeAdobe PDF (574.25 KB)
    • ES - Chapter 18 - Human Health Adobe PDF (669.5 KB)
    • ES - Chapter 19 - Risk of Major Accidents and DisastersAdobe PDF (830.71 KB)
    • ES - Chapter 20 - InteractionsAdobe PDF (222.86 KB)
    • ES - Appendix 1.1 : Original Decision Notice and Stamped Approved PlansAdobe PDF (12.88 MB)
    • ES - Appendix 1.2 : EIA Scoping RequestAdobe PDF (2.34 MB)
    • ES - Appendix 1.3 : Cumulative DevelopmentsAdobe PDF (357.82 KB)
    • ES - Appendix 1.4 : MLVAR2025026 - Marine Construction LicenceAdobe PDF (560.59 KB)
    • ES - Appendix 1.4 : MLVAR2025027 - Marine Capital Dredge LicenceAdobe PDF (495.24 KB)
    • ES - Appendix 1.4 : MLVAR2025028 - Marine Sea Disposal LicenceAdobe PDF (306.96 KB)
    • ES - Appendix 3.1 : Scoping Consultation ResponsesAdobe PDF (1.08 MB)
    • ES - Appendix 5.1 : Photomontages Part1Adobe PDF (23.93 MB)
    • ES - Appendix 5.1 : Photomontages Part 2Adobe PDF (27.23 MB)
    • ES - Appendix 7.1 : Air Quality Technical Details 001Adobe PDF (937.74 KB)
    • ES - Appendix 8.1: Baseline Noise Monitoring SurveyAdobe PDF (1.5 MB)
    • ES - Appendix 8.2 : Vessel Noise Monitoring Survey Appendix F01Adobe PDF (2.77 MB)
    • ES - Appendix 9.1.1 : Ecological Survey For Bats (2025)Adobe PDF (2.18 MB)
    • ES - Appendix 9.1.2 : Ecological Survey for Newts (2025)Adobe PDF (1.68 MB)
    • ES - Appendix 9.1.3 : NBN RecordsAdobe PDF (348.7 KB)
    • ES - Appendix 9.2.1_9.2.11 : OrnithologyAdobe PDF (956.4 KB)
    • ES - Appendix 9.2.12 : D3 Desk Study & Pre-Construction Monitoring Report - updated versionAdobe PDF (1.86 MB)
    • ES - Appendix 9.2.13 : D3 bird monitoring Interim Report Winter 202223Adobe PDF (585.29 KB)
    • ES - Appendix 9.2.14 : D3 bird monitoring Interim Report April to October 2022Adobe PDF (558.23 KB)
    • ES - Appendix 10.1 : D3 Sediment Sampling at Depth Results by locationAdobe PDF (1.15 MB)
    • ES - Appendix 10.2 : D3 Surface Sediment Sampling Results BHC - 240715Adobe PDF (598.3 KB)
    • ES - Appendix 10.3 : IBM0592-SI-SK01 Vibrocore Results Rev EAdobe PDF (393.95 KB)
    • ES - Appendix 10.4 : Sub-Sample Testing of MBH15@3m depthAdobe PDF (72.94 KB)
    • ES - Appendix 10.5 : Samples at Depth (Nov 23 - Jan 24)Adobe PDF (839.75 KB)
    • ES - Appendix 10.5 : Surface Sampling (May 2023)Adobe PDF (389.65 KB)
    • ES - Appendix 11.1 : MIKE Modelling ModuleAdobe PDF (34.87 KB)
    • ES - Appendix 11.2 : Model CalibrationAdobe PDF (2.08 MB)
    • ES - Appendix 12.1 : Environmental Site Assessment Contaminated LandAdobe PDF (7.72 MB)
    • ES - Appendix 13.1 : Lighting Proposal SummaryAdobe PDF (203.69 KB)
    • ES - Appendix 14.1 : Traffic flow diagramsAdobe PDF (74.65 KB)
    • ES - Appendix 15.1 : Cultural Heritage Photograph RecordAdobe PDF (1.78 MB)
    • ES - Appendix 17.1 : Greenhouse Gas AssessmentAdobe PDF (462.86 KB)
    • ES - Appendix 17.2 : Climate Change Risk AssessmentAdobe PDF (521.6 KB)
    • ES - Appendix 19.1 : Navigational Risk AssessmentAdobe PDF (13.71 MB)
    • Figure 5.1 : Regional & National Character AreasAdobe PDF (3.09 MB)
    • Figure 5.2 : Landscape Character AreasAdobe PDF (3.03 MB)
    • Figure 5.3 : Landscape DesignationsAdobe PDF (4.5 MB)
    • Figure 5.4 : ZTVAdobe PDF (4.96 MB)
    • Figure 5.5 : Viewpoints MapAdobe PDF (7.68 MB)
    • Figure 7.1 : Air Quality Background and Sensitive ReceptorsAdobe PDF (1.71 MB)
    • Figure 8.1 : Sensitive Receptors and Noise Monitoring LocationsAdobe PDF (3.9 MB)
    • Figure 8.2 : Worst Case Daytime Construction Noise ContourAdobe PDF (2.15 MB)
    • Figure 8.3 : Worst Case Night-time Construction Noise ContourAdobe PDF (2.14 MB)
    • Figure 9.1 : Designated SitesAdobe PDF (116.79 KB)
    • Figure 9.2 : Habitat Survey Results v03Adobe PDF (3.26 MB)
    • Figure 13.1 : Contoured LUX levels Hinterland & Access RoadAdobe PDF (2.39 MB)
    • Figure 13.2 : Contoured LUX levels Access RoadAdobe PDF (1.71 MB)

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