Building trust: Belmont at five

Daniel McLaughlin, managing director of stakeholder engagement and public affairs firm Belmont, discusses supporting clients operating in the built environment across the UK and Ireland.

Belmont operates at the intersection of business, politics, local communities and the media. It helps clients communicate and build relationships, mostly in relation to development proposals or policy and legislative matters.

This year marked its fifth birthday. No mean feat given it was launched in the early weeks of the first Covid-19 lockdown in April 2020; the most uncertain of times.

“Launching what is effectively a people and relationships business when we could not meet anyone in person was not ideal,” McLaughlin says.

“But in many ways we were lucky. We had no big overheads to worry about and we quickly established a very good, reliable group of clients who stayed busy throughout the uncertainty.”

That first year in business was managed from a phone and laptop in a home-office.
As restrictions eased and the demand for Belmont’s expertise spread, the decision was taken to move into a Belfast city centre office and start growing the team.

“Obviously, the strength of the business comes down to the quality of our clients and we are very fortunate in terms of the organisations who put their trust in us. Of course, with that trust comes expectation.”

A specialist focus

In the last five years, Belmont has helped deliver planning approval for development projects worth over £1 billion. It remains the only strategic communications firm in Northern Ireland that is set up specifically to support the built environment sector.

“That niche is very important to us,” McLaughlin explains. “When we meet clients and potential clients they can see very quickly that we understand the planning and development process and the role relationship management plays in it.

“They also see quickly, or at least I hope they do, that if Belmont is involved in a project or campaign, we are there to bring solutions. Sometimes that involves challenging our own clients. But it is always to help them reach their goals.”

Since 2020 the company has advised clients that would be the envy of many of the large, international firms in the UK and Ireland, spanning several sectors within the built environment.

“We have a strong reputation in the energy sector which we are very proud of,” says McLaughlin. “It is an industry we know well and we have worked with local and international clients on projects that will bring huge levels of investment to the north.”
Having advised on over a gigawatt of projects, Belmont has supported many of the most recent planning applications for wind farms, solar farms and major grid-scale battery energy storage facilities in Northern Ireland.

“Complex infrastructure proposals require a specialist approach to stakeholder engagement, and that is what we offer,” adds McLaughlin.

Building for the future

McLaughlin also points to Belmont’s roles in other sectors including tourism, commercial office development, student accommodation, manufacturing and advertising.

“Supporting the Merrow Hotel and Spa in Portstewart was special,” McLaughlin says. “The Donnelly and Gilholm families deserve a world of credit for sticking with the project when many others would have walked away. They are a pleasure to work with and now that planning approval is in place I cannot wait to see the hotel up and running. My only complaint is I wish it could be 20 miles further along the coast but that is just me being biased as a Ballycastle man.”

In Belfast, Belmont provided stakeholder engagement support during the community consultation and planning phase of Kainos’ recently launched ‘One Bankmore’ on Dublin Road.

“Working with Kainos on its global headquarters is something we are exceptionally proud of. With Belfast City Council having granted planning approval for the scheme within five months of submission in 2024, it is terrific to see it has now been officially launched. It is a landmark development for Belfast.”

Next to One Bankmore work has begun on new purpose-built student accommodation by Queen’s University; another Belmont project.

Beyond Belfast, in recent years Belmont supported various planning applications for the regional roll out of the Pulse Smart Hub network, which will combine advertising, telecoms and life-saving technology in key locations across the north.

Growth and leadership

Demand for Belmont’s services has grown in Scotland and Ireland, too. A focus for McLaughlin is growing the firm’s team further while evolving its offering.

The appointment of Jonny Gallagher earlier this year from the National Energy System Operator (NESO) in London, where he led the 2,000-person organisation’s external affairs function, was a statement hire. Gallagher brings extensive experience in political engagement, and strategic communications.

“Bringing Jonny on board has been fantastic,” says McLaughlin. “His experience and expertise are very hard to come by and are incredibly valuable. He combines an understanding of the challenging issues our clients face with real public affairs insight. For me, his appointment reflects Belmont’s commitment to offering senior, reliable, strategic counsel.”

Meanwhile, Belmont is actively hiring as the team continues to expand.

Looking ahead

With the company now in its sixth year, McLaughlin predicts a busy 2026 for Belmont and its clients.

“I would challenge anyone to spend an hour with any of our clients and not leave energised. They are brilliant.” says McLaughlin. “If given the right platform they will continue to deliver investment and opportunities across the north.”

At an Northern Ireland Executive level, McLaughlin highlights the need for progress on key issues like legislation for the Renewable Electricity Price Guarantee and updated planning policy for renewable energy projects, which is understood to be imminent.

He also flags the need for investment in wastewater infrastructure to allow the delivery of more homes; and emphasises how an improved planning system will boost economic development.

As Belmont’s clients have come to expect, McLaughlin is looking ahead. “The 2027 elections will have a huge bearing on how key issues are handled over the next 18 months. Most political decisions from this point on will be taken with polling day in mind.

“It puts an added emphasis on how and when companies should communicate, whether that is in relation to a project or a policy issue; and it is our role to get that right.”

Daniel McLaughlin
Managing Director, Belmont

T: 02890 726 059
E: daniel@belmont.online
W: www.belmont.online