Primark fire: Street re-opening ‘brilliant news’ say traders

The fire at the Primark store at Bank Buildings, Castle Street, forced the closure of more than a dozen businesses and the erection of a safety cordon over fears about the structural integrity of the burned building.

The Northern Ireland Retail Consortium had highlighted the fire as a key reason for a decline in shoppers in Belfast City Centre.

But the group have now praised both Primark and Belfast City Council for their efforts to speed up the re-opening of the area.

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.”

Mr Connolly added: “It comes too late for some traders but the public can still make a difference by shopping in the Cordon Quarter.”