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Bar owners hit out at 'pop-up pub'

STRUGGLING bar owners have criticised a "pop-up pub" set up inside a Belfast shopping centre - claiming the temporary bar is damaging their Christmas trade.

The Bear's Paw was opened last Friday in a vacant retail unit at Victoria Square.

The pop-up pub is described as a "beer and cider festival" and operates at weekends and some weekdays under a temporary licence.

Punters can purchase a range of local craft beers and ciders and have the option of taking part in events such as quizzes.

However, pubs owners in the city centre have hit out at the temporary venture saying it is affecting their takings during the festive season.

They fear the trend could "kill the pub trade altogether" if more so-called pop-up bars are allowed to spring up across the city.

The criticism comes amid concerns over the pub industry in the north after industry figures revealed almost one in five of the north's pubs closed in just three years.

A total of 174 pubs were shut in 2012 and 237 have been closed since 2009.

Vincent McKenna, who runs The Mermaid Inn, said The Bear's Paw was affecting his family business.

"If you're going to do a pop-up pub there, what's to stop it happening all over the city?" He said.

"If it continues and more happen next year it will kill the pub trade altogether.

"The regular licensees are there all year round and it's going to take business away from us - and trade is hard enough at the minute."

The 48-year-old from Belfast added: "They're only here for a month so they're not going to take my regulars but they're taking my passing trade."

John Bittles (53), owner of Bittles Bar, questioned claims The Bear's Paw is a beer-and-cider "festival".

"We're here all year round and come Christmas time all the pubs are trying their best to do a good trade - and then you have got them jumping on the bandwagon," he said.

"I think it's just an exercise to sell beer at Christmas. I don't think it's looks like a beer festival."

A temporary licence to open The Bear's Paw from noon to 1am was acquired by the Horatio group, which runs several Belfast bars.

The group's director Stephen Magorrian last night denied that the venture was a "pop-up pub", despite it being described as a pop-up pub on its Facebook page.

"It's not a pop-up pub, it's actually a festival," he said.

"The licence has been granted because it's a festival and it's in support of a trade body.

"It's all completely legal. It's completely legitimate and I think a very worthwhile thing to do.

"It's a festival to promote local beers and ciders."

The Bear's Paw will be open again this weekend and the following Tuesday and Wednesday before it closes.

A spokeswoman for the Department of the Environment (DOE) said a "small pop-up pub within an existing shopping centre is unlikely to require a separate planning approval".

"The Planning Department will be in a better position to confirm its opinion with regard to Victoria Square when a site visit has been carried out," she said.

"This will allow the planners to determine the exact nature and scale of the business being carried out.

"Liquor licensing is a matter for the courts not for DOE."

PICTURE: Matt Bohill