During a meeting of Belfast City Council’s City Growth and Regeneration Committee today (12 March), she put forward a proposal to look into the eligibility of those organisations for the council’s ‘Vacant to Vibrant’ scheme and providing further economic support such as emergency unrestricted funding.

The scheme aims to reduce vacancy, address dereliction and support local independent businesses by providing capital grants.

Cllr McAteer has said: “Connswater Shopping Centre is at the heart of East Belfast, holding cherished memories for so many. News of its closure has come as such a blow to both local residents and those employed in the businesses affected.

“Yesterday, I met with representatives from Men’s Shed, Arts Care, Platform Arts, Home-Start, Open Arts, Strand Cinema and Fighting Words to hear how this closure will impact their organisations. For them, this isn’t just about the loss of a space. It’s about community and personal stories. It’s about displacement of service users; the young people, vulnerable people, and the elderly that rely on them.

“We must do everything we can to help them mitigate such a disruption. I hope everyone can get behind my proposal for a scoping exercise to see how many of these organisations could take advantage of the council’s ‘Vacant to Vibrant’ scheme, and for those that are eligible, that council works closely with them to find suitable alternative accommodation and look into what other emergency funding is available.

“We have an opportunity here to help provide stability in such a tumultuous time, to keep these organisations open and providing vital services to the people of East Belfast and the wider city, and we must take it.”