Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
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Belfast city centre shops reopen thanks to new tunnel
SHOPS have reopened in Belfast thanks to a new tunnel linking the main route which was blocked after the Primark fire in August.
The 3m wide and 2.5m high passage officially opened yesterday and creates a connection between Royal Avenue and Donegall Place.
Eight retailers including Mcdonald’s, Skechers, Argento and Spar are to reopen.
Retail NI chief Glyn Robers told the Mirror: “Hopefully we’ve made some significant progress with the tunnel and with the reopening of some of the shops within the cordon.
“I think looking at how hard the traders and the council have been working to make the best out of a difficult situation, they need to be highly commended.
“Despite our difficulties Belfast has a very competitive retail and hospitality offering. We’re looking forward to a good Christmas.
RETAIL
“People forget that for the retail sector, Christmas is the harvest period, the most important time of the year.”
Mr Roberts added the length of time taken to implement this measure was due to health and safety concerns.
He said: “We’re part of the recovery group, so we’ve been actively involved in every stage of this crisis.
“I know how difficult the situation is in relation to health and safety and we’ve got to take advice from the professionals.
“I would have loved to see this opened a lot earlier – but we are where we are.”
President of Belfast Chamber of Trade & Commerce Rajesh Rana said: “We would like to commend the hard work of Belfast City Council, Primark, Belfast One and the many other stakeholders who have been working very hard to get us to this point.
“We want to remind shoppers the city is a fantastic place to come in and shop and spend time with friends and family this festive period.”