Belfast's £400m Victoria Square shopping and leisure centre has won an international award for its impact on regenerating the city.

It picked up the Urban Regeneration Initiative of the Year title at the MAPIC Eg Retail Awards in Cannes, France.

The award was presented to the Department for Social Development (DSD) in Northern Ireland, which worked in partnership with Multi Development UK on the development, which opened to the public in March this year.

Victoria Square was deemed the winner due to its integration with the urban environment and because it was judged to have the most positive impact on the local society. Margaret Ritchie, Minister for Social Development, said: “I am delighted that my Department and Multi Development UK have won this prestigious award for Northern Ireland. It is a tangible international recognition of the regeneration of Belfast city centre delivered by a strong private and public sector partnership which together has delivered the flagship Victoria Square regeneration scheme.”

Paul Sargent, managing director, Multi Development UK added: “Victoria Square has delivered on every level promised.

“The vision was clear and together with DSD that vision has been achieved. With world-class architecture and a mix of new and exciting retailers, Victoria Square has put Belfast on the map as a true European shopping destination.

“The scheme is far more than the simple sum of its component parts, it is the new social and cultural meeting point of a once divided city.”

Since September of this year Multi Development UK has also been awarded Property Developer of the Year at the All Ireland Retail Property Awards; Developer of the Year — Retail and Leisure, at the Estates Gazette Awards; Property Personality of the Year to Multi’s Managing Director, Paul Sargent, at the UTV/Business Eye Awards; Best Regeneration Project at the Belfast Awards; and Commercial Property Development of the Year at the Belfast Telegraph’s Northern Ireland Property Awards.