In the six weeks since the fire which gutted the Primark building in Belfast city centre it has become all too apparent that the impact of this devastating event will be significant and long-lasting.
The location of the Bank Buildings and the potential risk to public safety from the ruined shell, has meant the closure of Castle Junction, the hub of the city centre, leading to major disruption for transport, business and the public.
Belfast city centre has effectively been cut in two by a substantial cordon, with those trying to get from the key shopping thoroughfares of Royal Avenue to Donegall Place being forced to take circuitous detours, something that is an unhelpful deterrent to pedestrians, although some side streets are benefitting from greater footfall.
The cordon also means that some businesses, including Tesco, Zara and McDonalds, have remained shut since the blaze but smaller, independent traders in Castle Street and Royal Avenue have also been seriously impacted and lack the resources of the big high street names.
Primark has donated £500,000 to help disrupted businesses and clearly any financial assistance is greatly needed, particularly in the short term.
But as we head into the crucial Christmas shopping period, there remains the issue of what the future holds for the Bank Buildings and what can be done to reduce the cordon and open up the city centre to shoppers.
Yesterday Primark, which has said it is committed to a conservation-led approach to preserve as much of the building as possible, filed a planning application with Belfast City Council which proposes removing the top two floors with the intention of reinstating the stonework and distinctive features when the rest of the structural work is complete.
It remains to be seen if this plan is approved but it is important we move forward as soon as practicable to make the building safe and ease the pressure on affected traders and the wider economy of the city centre.
