Belfast Harbour office project will support 600 construction jobs

City Quays 2 will provide 124,000 sq ft of grade A office space when it is completed in mid-2016

A £20m office development in Belfast Harbour will support 600 construction jobs when work begins next year, after it obtained planning permission.

The project - City Quays 2 - will provide 124,000 sq ft of grade A office space and be completed in mid-2016.

Work on an adjacent office project, City Quays 1, is already well under way.

The harbour said there was "a high degree of interest" from businesses seeking accommodation in the area.

Graeme Johnston, Belfast Harbour's property director, said: "Following Invest NI's recent successes the time is right to further invest in City Quays and support the region's economic development."

Property advisors CBRE stated recently that at least 30 companies are searching for grade A premises in Belfast.

It said the demand - in terms of space requirements - was about three times the size of City Quays 2.

In a separate planning decision, the harbour has also received planning permission for a 200,000 sq ft extension of Sydenham Business Park located beside George Best Belfast City Airport.

The development, which will be demand led, will provide for 26 new business units.