Fleadh success ‘tipping point’ for pedestrianising Belfast city centre

The crowded streets of Belfast city centre during the Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann

The success of Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann has become a “tipping point” for the debate over greater pedestrianisation in Belfast city centre, a councillor has claimed, amid growing calls for some of the temporary traffic restrictions to lead to permanent change.

Belfast Green Party Councillor Brian Smyth says the “bottom line” is that the Fleadh “would not have worked without pedestrianisation in the city centre” and is calling for pedestrianisation trials along Royal Avenue and Donegall Place following extensive consultation.

The debate has gathered momentum as hundreds of thousands of visitors have filled Belfast during its first hosting of Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann, with streets temporarily given over to pedestrians, performers and spectators.

For Cllr Smyth, the experience has given people an opportunity to see what a city centre with significantly less traffic could look and feel like.

A long-running debate in Belfast

Belfast remains behind many other cities across the UK and Republic of Ireland when it comes to removing traffic from key city centre streets.

Over the past 20 years, pedestrianisation in Belfast city centre has been limited. A section of Hill Street in the Cathedral Quarter and Union Street, on the other side of Royal Avenue, have been closed to traffic following lengthy processes.

In the case of Hill Street, however, the pedestrianisation has not yet been made permanent by the Department for Infrastructure (DfI) and remains subject to an experimental order.

Castle Street has also been partly closed to general traffic, although the arrangement is not permanent, while Translink has argued that the route remains an important link for public transport services.

The debate has taken on new significance during the Fleadh, with temporary traffic restrictions transforming parts of the city centre.

Belfast is hosting Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann for the first time, with the event running until Sunday, August 9.

Qualifying competitors from around the world are showcasing traditional music, song, dance and language in All-Ireland competitions, alongside a major programme of performances and entertainment across the city.

With at least 800,000 visitors anticipated, the Fleadh is expected to be the biggest cultural event ever staged in Belfast and to generate more than £60 million for the city. Belfast will host the event again next year.

‘I think there is something going on here’

Belfast Green Party Councillor Brian Smyth

The experience has intensified discussion around the future of Belfast city centre, with many people expressing support for the temporary pedestrianised areas and questioning whether some could remain after the festival ends.

Cllr Smyth believes the Fleadh has provided an opportunity for people to imagine a different city centre.

He told the Local Democracy Reporting Service:

“Regarding this week, the term I would use is tipping point. I think there is something going on here. I know now it is very festival-like, and we will all go back to porridge on Monday, but I think it is starting a conversation with people.

“I’ve been going on about this since I was elected in 2019, and I know council officers who have been hearing about pedestrianisation in one shape or another going back to 1998. This isn’t some new, radical idea, this has been floating around as long as the Good Friday Agreement. I just sense people are thinking, is there a different way of doing business here?

“Of course there are going to be logistical problems, there are going to be engineering issues, questions about traffic access, but we can see how it is done in other places.”

Lessons from other cities

Cllr Smyth pointed to New York, where major changes at Times Square and Broadway have created extensive pedestrian areas in what were previously heavily trafficked spaces.

Pedestrianisation schemes have also been introduced in smaller UK cities and towns.

In Shrewsbury, pedestrianisation trials introduced during the Covid pandemic have continued to inform debate over the future use of the town centre.

Pedestrianised areas subsequently recorded a 37% growth in sales compared with 12% across the rest of the town centre.

York, meanwhile, has operated its extensive “footstreets” network for decades, restricting vehicle access across significant parts of its historic centre.

In Dublin, traffic-free and pedestrianisation initiatives have also reshaped parts of the city centre, including the permanent pedestrianisation of Capel Street. Such schemes have attracted strong public support, although concerns have also been raised over accessibility, traffic displacement and the impact on public transport.

Cllr Smyth said:

“Of course there are going to be issues. Translink are going to have issues, but I believe there are solutions, whether they are engineering solutions, or solutions regarding political will.”

Accessibility must be central

The councillor acknowledged that any expansion of pedestrianisation would have to address concerns from disabled people and ensure accessibility was built into the design from the outset.

Referring to debates in York over accessibility for disabled residents and delivery arrangements, he said:

“I know there are concerns from people with disabilities, and there is a piece of work to be done there, and it has to be just more than mere consultation, which can become a tick-box exercise and then ignored. We are talking about people with sight impediments, mobility issues, and we need to get it right.

“When you remove kerbs, you can remove knowledge, and if it is all flat surfaces (this can cause problems.) But these are not pedestrianisation problems, they are design problems. We need design solutions. I would have disability advocacy groups on board with this, and also give them the power of veto on any aspects of the design.”

Cllr Smyth said the economic case would also have to be examined before permanent changes were made.

“There needs to be a whole cost-benefit analysis made on this. If the numbers add up, and we can say we are making an X amount of money on this in the city, for what will be a piddling sum, we can show it is economically viable.”

He added that it would be “a sizable piece of work, with everybody on board”, but said “public will is moving towards it.”

DfI considering expanded pedestrianisation

Responsibility for Northern Ireland’s roads rests with the Department for Infrastructure, meaning significant permanent changes to Belfast’s road network cannot be made by Belfast City Council alone.

Responding to questions about the future of pedestrianisation in Belfast city centre and plans for Castle Street, a DfI spokesperson said the Department was “preparing a new suite of transport plans to guide transport and investment decisions to 2035.”

The spokesperson said:

“The Eastern Transport Plan 2035 is the largest of the Local Transport Plans, covering five council areas, including Belfast. It will support the preparation of Local Development Plans across these councils. As the five councils are at different stages in developing their Local Development Plans, the ETP will be published in phases.”

They added:

“The first phase will comprise the Belfast City Centre Transport Plan and the Metropolitan Area Transport Plan. Draft versions of these plans have been completed and include consideration of measures such as the expansion of pedestrianisation within Belfast city centre and are currently being finalised for public consultation.

“While the temporary pedestrianisation measures introduced for Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann are intended to support the safe and successful operation of that event, they are also demonstrating the benefits of more people-focused streets in our town and city centres.

“Minister Kimmins also announced the pedestrianisation of Hill Street from December 2025 to help facilitate a vibrant social space that prioritises people by making the street safer for pedestrians. The current experimental order was introduced as a six month pilot. That has now been extended for a further six months and during this period officials will work towards introducing permanent legislation.”

The Department’s confirmation that expanded pedestrianisation is already being considered as part of Belfast’s future transport plans means the debate now extends beyond the temporary arrangements required for the Fleadh.

For Cllr Smyth, the immediate test is whether the experience of a city centre transformed for one of Belfast’s biggest-ever cultural events can now translate into permanent change — and whether Royal Avenue and Donegall Place could be the next streets where that change is tested.