Primark fire: Belfast shopper numbers 'fall' after blaze

The impact of the Primark fire on Belfast retail is reflected in new figures showing "a drastic dip" in the city's shopping footfall last month.

The number of shoppers in Belfast in September was more than 30% down on the corresponding month in 2017.

Statistics are compiled nationally by analysis firm Springboard.

Aodhán Connolly, of the NI Retail Consortium, said the fall "comes directly off the back" of the Primark fire on 28 August.

"This sad occurrence has effectively split Belfast's busiest thoroughfare in two," he added.

"This is distressing not only for Primark and 14 businesses within the cordon who cannot open, but also those in the locale who are affected by the footfall drop."

A Primark spokesperson said the company recognised that its store has always been a driver for footfall into the city centre.

"On 2 October, we submitted a proposal that could have reduced the cordon within weeks, unfortunately this proposal has not been approved but we are committed to finding a solution and are working closely with the council to agree this," they said.

The spokesperson said Primark was committed to a conservation-led approach to to the historic building.

"We recognise how important this is to Belfast city and once we have permission to start work, the reduced cordon will be put in place as quickly as possible," they added.

Belfast City Council said it was working closely with Primark, but any reduction in the cordon could only happen once it was safe to do so.

"We have commissioned the advice of three separate independent structural engineers, who assessed Primark's proposal within days of Primark's submission.

"All three separately recommended that the proposal to reduce the cordon did not sufficiently guarantee public safety due primarily to the instability of the upper part of the building, the potential for collapse and their assessment of the range within which debris would fall."

A council spokesperson said a public consultation was under way on Primark's latest proposals.

Rajesh Rana, president of Belfast Chamber of Trade and Commerce, said the cordon was having a seriously detrimental effect on trade.

He said there was a need for clarity on when the cordon would be lifted.

"There is an urgency for this as the Christmas trading period is when the majority of businesses take most of their year's revenue and they rely on that for the creation and sustainability of jobs."

Primark's idea to reduce the cordon is thought to have involved shipping containers.

They would have been stacked three tall and two deep around Bank Buildings, according to one person familiar with the proposal.

This would have acted as a protective barrier between the building and pedestrians using the street.

The safety zone is currently 100m around Primark.

Its plan would have reduced the cordon to about half that - enough for shoppers to pass the front of Bank Buildings on the opposite side.

Having been rejected, the focus now is on a planning application to remove the upper floors of the listed building.

It will be decided upon on 26 October.

Once this work is completed, re-opening streets is likely to re-visited, with Christmas trade on the horizon.

Springboard gathers data from automated technology in shops across the UK.

Belfast's performance is a major factor in footfall across Northern Ireland being down 4.6% year-on-year.

This follows four successive monthly increases.

The fire at Bank Buildings in Belfast city centre - which housed the Primark shop - has led to 14 businesses being closed - possibly for as long as four months.

A planning application filed by the retailer earlier this month stated that the structural damage caused by the fire has been severe, with the loss of a significant portion of internal parts of the building.

It said upper floors of the building could be removed and then rebuilt using the original stonework.

The plan will have to be approved by Belfast City Council's planning committee later this month.

Businesses impacted by the Primark fire in Belfast will be able to claim up to £19,000.

The money is coming from a £500,000 donation from Primark, which is being split-up by the council.

The fund will be open until Monday 19 November.

Belfast City Council has said it is hopeful the main thoroughfare of the city centre, connecting Donegall Place and Royal Avenue, could re-open to pedestrians before Christmas.

This depends on health and safety considerations.