13/11/2018

Belfast City Centre Footfall Slumps By 60%

Footfall in Belfast city centre has slumped by 60% compared to October last year, against the backdrop of the impact of the Primark fire at the historic Bank Buildings.

The Northern Ireland Civil Service announced a further £1.1million to help the city get back on its feet, adding to the funding allocated by the local council and Chancellor Phillip Hammond in his Budget.

The recovery pot for the fire now stands at £6m, which will finance a range of initiatives to boost shopping and visitor activity in the area and get people back on the streets and through the doors of local businesses.

Primark is set to reopen next month in Commonwealth House on Castle Street.

Some traders are still struggling despite efforts to alleviate the impact of the fire, as a safety cordon around the ruined building closed off a main thoroughfare and prevented shoppers from accessing some traders in the area.

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