Business

Belfast City Council pulls coffee kiosk revitalisation scheme

Visual showing the original design proposals for Belfast City Council's new kiosk scheme in the city centre.
Visual showing the original design proposals for Belfast City Council's new kiosk scheme in the city centre.
By Ryan McAleer

PLANS to develop a new coffee kiosk in the centre of Belfast have been pulled by the City Council.

The scheme on Castle Place was originally conceived during 2021 as part of Belfast City Council's post-Covid strategy to revitalise the city centre, with funding from the Department for Communities.

Visuals produced for the city authority showed a new covered space to replace the existing small kiosk next to JD Sports, Primark and McDonalds.

The designs produced by MMAS Architects and OGU Architects featured an open structure with awnings and street furniture.

But the application has now been withdrawn, two years after its original submission by the city council’s own regeneration and development team.

A spokesperson for Belfast City Council said the decision was taken “following a review of the feedback”.

No further details were provided for the decision to withdraw the application.

Read more:

  • River Island to bring new fashion concept store ‘River Studios' to Belfast
  • Castlebrooke “frustrated" by pace of Tribeca scheme as debt soars
  • Plans lodged for new pub on Derry's Waterloo Street
  • Warrenpoint beach beauty spot 'blocked by housing developer'

Belfast City Council originally went public with the kiosk plans in April 2021, recruiting property agency Lisney in its bid to find a business to run the operation.

While there appeared to be no objections from statutory authorities, documents published on the planning portal show JD Sports hired a private planning consultancy to oppose the revitalisation scheme.

In a number of objection letters, Gravis Planning said JD Sports opposed the new scheme on the grounds that it would impact nearby listed buildings such as the recently refurbished Bank Buildings.

The letter also raised issues over the potential impact on deliveries to the sports shop.

JD Sports moved into Castle Place in late 2021 following a £2m demolition and redevelopment of Calvert House.
JD Sports moved into Castle Place in late 2021 following a £2m demolition and redevelopment of Calvert House.

The objections were lodged just over a year after JD Sports relocated to a new 33,000 sq ft store at Castle Place.

The retailer significantly redeveloped Calvert House in a £2 million project, stripping back the building to its core and installing a new modern glass front façade, which opened in November 2021.

Despite having no objections when originally consulted in 2021, a subsequent re-evaluation of the scheme by Belfast City Council’s own conservation and heritage team, published on the planning portal in February 2023, suggests a change of heart on the grounds of the impact on the historic setting of the area.

In a statement, a Belfast City Council spokesperson said: “Council remains committed to bringing forward regeneration opportunities in the city centre and is considering next steps for the kiosk project.”