Tears flow as Connswater to close for final time

Connswater Shopping Centre in east Belfast is to close on Friday after more than 40 years in business.

Footfall has been in decline in recent years with only 20 commercial tenants left in the 52-unit centre.

On the final day of business, tears flowed as staff and customers said their farewells.

Sheelagh Gray, who has worked in the Boots store for 26 years, said people were "grieving" the loss of the centre.

"It feels like a death," she told BBC News NI as she prepared to leave the store.

Staff at the Semichem store received a pleasant surprise when a long-standing customer bought them all a takeaway lunch.

Store manager Leighann Holden said: "We've had a few tears. This is the end of an era."

At the nearby Relish café, staff lost count of the number of gifts and cards they received.

Pauline Montgomery, who travelled from Lurgan every day to work in the café, said: "I'm not devastated for myself, I'm devastated for my customers. Fourteen years we've been here, and we've built up loyal customers during those 14 years."

While many staff have lost their jobs as a result of the Connswater closure, the Relish café is planning to relocate to north Belfast.

Many of the stores were offering final day discounts, with Poundland taking 50% off all stock.

The centre opened in 1983 and established itself as one of the key shopping areas in Belfast, outside the city centre.

Footballer George Best made a guest visit in 1984, while the then Prime Minister Tony Blair went on a walkabout in the centre in 1997.

Blair's visit was disrupted by unionists protesting over a meeting he had just had with the then Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams.

John Lemon, chairman of the East Belfast Men's Shed, which meets in the centre, said the group "couldn't believe it" when they heard it would close.

"We were very annoyed and very upset because we've 27 members and they're all basically old age pensioners and they've nowhere else to go," he said.

The group has found a new home at Beersbridge Road Elim Church on a temporary basis until the end of June.

Cormac McAteer who ran a coffee shop in the centre for 14 years said he was "heartbroken" about the closure and its impact on east Belfast.

"This has been for years a community centre more than a shopping centre," he added.

He hopes to reopen in a smaller unit in Cityside Retail Park.

"It all comes at another investment to try to survive and keep the jobs. It will cost me thousands to strip this unit out, it will cost me thousands to set up again."

Stephanie McKervill, head of operations and artistic direction at charity Arts Care, said the closure was "a huge loss" for east Belfast.

"We've been in Connswater for just over a year now and it had been such a positive move," she said.

The organisation has spent about £40,000 getting set up and anticipated being there for "at least three to five years".

They have an office space and a separate creative space, which is used as a gallery for exhibitions.

The next exhibition will be delayed while a new location is found, but the charity's work in different health and social care settings will be able to continue.

Mimi Turtle, chief executive of the Strand Arts Centre, said they had hoped to stay in Connswater until the refurbishment of their building is completed next summer.

"The fact that Connswater is closing and I think most importantly that we've been given only two weeks' notice will be a real challenge for the Strand," she said.

"We obviously need to find alternative premises at break-neck speed."

The Strand Arts Centre spent about £15,000 on the fit out at Connswater, which included a mini-box office, screening room and workshop space.

Ms Turtle said setting up in a new premises could cost something similar.

A Belfast City Council spokesperson said its City Growth and Regeneration Committee is considering "potential areas of support that the council could provide to the charities and independent businesses".

The issue was raised by Alliance councillor Fiona McAteer who said the closure will have "a real impact" on charities, organisations and service users.

BBC News NI spoke to shoppers on Connswater's final Saturday.

Freda Allen, who comes to the centre every week, said the closure was "a disgrace".

"Where else do they expect pensioners like me to go?"

Her son said there aren't many other places with good disablity access for Freda, who uses a wheelchair.

Andy McCann said he was saddened by the closure.

"I like the shopping centre but if people don't use it, they've only themselves to blame," he added.

Another shopper, Gina Mason, said she comes to the centre about four days a week for "a wee dander round the shops with the grandchildren" and a visit to Relish.

"There's a lot of people who are disabled and elderly come here.

"It's all flat. It's easy for them, easy access. Now they've nowhere to go."

The shutters will come down for the final time at Connswater on Friday at 18:00 GMT.

It is now under the control of insolvency practitioners, having been placed into receivership earlier this month.

An adjoining large store, The Range, will remain open as will a nearby retail park which includes a Lidl supermarket.

It is not clear what will happen next - whether it has a future in retail or efforts could be made to transform it into private or social housing.

BDO NI Partners has been appointed fixed charge receivers.

A spokesperson for BDO NI said that "despite best efforts to sustain the centre, the costs of keeping it open were no longer feasible".

The firm said it will help tenants remove stock over the coming weeks and give them additional time to make alternative arrangements if needed.

"Once this has been completed, we will then move to market the site for sale," the spokesperson said.

Connswater is owned by Killultagh Estates, which also owns other shopping centres in the UK and Ireland.