Castle Street/Fountain Street junction re-opens after Primark fire

By Hannah Spratt

There's good news for some of the traders in Belfast City Centre.

The junction at Castle Street and Fountain Street closed due to the Primark fire has re-opened this morning.

The blaze at the historic Bank buildings in August meant many areas of the city were cordoned off as a safety measure.

Aidan Connolly is from the Northern Ireland Retail Consortium:

Northern Ireland Retail Consortium director, Aodhán Connolly said:

"This is absolutely brilliant news for the traders in the Castle Street area. Primark and the City Council are to be commended on their work to speed up this process.

We have to be realistic as this won't solve the problems in the area over night and the connection to Royal Avenue needs to be opened as soon as is safe to do so but this is real progress and another step on the long road back for Belfast City Centre.

It comes too late for some traders but the public can still make a difference by shopping in the Cordon Quarter."

The cordon outside Primark on Fountain Street has been reduced this morning. pic.twitter.com/CbCRAYyurV

— Q Radio News (@qnewsdesk) February 27, 2019

Lord Mayor of Belfast Councillor Deirdre Hargey welcomed the news and said it would be a boost for traders.

 

“We know that some retailers, particularly in the immediate area of the cordon, continue to be impacted by a reduction in footfall and sales, so this will be a welcome development and is good news for Castle Street traders,” she added.

 

The footpath from the corner of Zara (on Donegall Place) to the corner of Fountain Street (City Picnic) is on schedule to be reopened at the end of March. The British Heart Foundation shop, which had its premises on Castle Street prior to the fire, has since relocated and a new shop is operating on Fountain Street.

 

Councillor Hargey said: “It has been a challenging six months for our city centre businesses but Belfast has proven itself to be a resilient city. It’s really encouraging to see this progress and as the cordon continues to be reduced in the coming weeks, I think we will see footfall and trade start to increase again in this area, as accessibility for pedestrians and shoppers improves.”

 

Since the fire and the resulting cordon, Belfast City Council has been looking at ways to reimagine how city centre spaces are used, exploring best practice in urban design, and taking the opportunity to pilot new ideas.

 

One such project is a pop-up park which is set to open at Castle Place at the end of March, with an emphasis on being child-friendly and a space where children can explore and learn.

 

“As we look ahead to the longer-term recovery and regeneration of this part of the city centre in particular, we have a unique opportunity to trial new ideas and think about how our public spaces are used,” said Councillor Hargey.

 

“With that in mind, Council is currently developing exciting plans for a temporary pop-up park at Castle Place. In developing these plans, we have looked to other cities for best practice in urban design, and I think this presents Belfast City Council with a real opportunity to pilot these kinds of projects, and test the public’s appetite for them.”