Debate contribution: Hospitality and Tourism: East Antrim

Debate contribution by Ms Cheryl Brownlee on 11 June 2024.

MLA

Ms Cheryl Brownlee

Party at the time

Democratic Unionist Party

Date

11 June 2024

Type

Debate contribution

Business

Adjournment

Heading

Hospitality and Tourism: East Antrim

Assembly identifier

Official Report component 4496109

Read the official Assembly record

Text

I am sure that we are all well aware of the struggles of the high street. They are well documented, and there have been positive measures from central and local government to try to address those challenges. Today, I want to raise the cocktail of challenges that I see in my constituency. That mixture has created an increasingly difficult environment for successful trade for our hospitality and tourism industry in East Antrim. I will take a closer look at Carrickfergus, which is located 15 minutes outside our capital city of Belfast. You would think that that would be positive, but we find that tourist buses roll into Carrickfergus in the morning and take a quick stop at the castle for a photo opportunity before the tourists reboard and are off up the road to the north coast. Carrickfergus is not being treated as a priority. We should market the seaside town as the gateway to the Causeway coast, whereas, at the minute, it is simply the toilet stop. The Department's failure to capitalise on Carrickfergus's unique position is having a detrimental impact on our tourism offering. Carrickfergus Castle, for example, is unique and is one of the most historically important castle garrisons in Northern Ireland. Another significant factor that must be recognised is a major reduction in available bed-nights, following the recent closure of two prominent local hotels. Subsequent data from Tourism NI does not accurately reflect the downturn in bed-nights in East Antrim. While the mid and east Antrim area as a whole shows a positive trend in bed-nights, the reality for East Antrim is a dramatic reduction. We all know that a reduction in bed-nights results in a reduction in tourists staying and spending in the area. More and more, we see and hear that the lack of available facilities is directly impacting on hospitality businesses in the surrounding area, some of which have seen a reduction in footfall of over 30%. Footfall counters purchased to monitor trade in Carrickfergus have shown a constant discrepancy between the footfall in Carrickfergus town centre and the NI average. For example, in October 2023, the average footfall across Northern Ireland increased by 2% from the previous year, compared with a shocking 23% reduction in footfall in Carrickfergus. The added difficulty for Carrickfergus town centre is its location in the conservation area. While the preservation of history and heritage is absolutely key, we must strike a balance, moving forward, between conservation, preservation and a town that is open, adaptable and able to utilise its unique heritage as a vehicle for success. Conservation areas have planning stipulations to ensure that areas are in keeping with the aesthetic appropriate to the time period. Unfortunately, that comes with its own challenges. I give Members the example of my constituency office, located in the heart of Carrickfergus town centre in a conservation area. Like every other Member, I applied for planning permission to erect a sign, a basic sign that would have caused no issue in almost any town or village across Northern Ireland. However, due to my office's position in the conservation area directly across from the castle, the application resulted in more than six months of challenges, changes and stress before a final decision was made. That example is certainly not unique; plenty of other businesses have fallen foul of the stipulations. The requirement to hire a conservation architect, for example, is simply not financially viable for the vast majority of new businesses. In that regard, we need to create a space to preserve history and heritage whilst operating a common-sense approach. A number of hospitality businesses have closed in Carrickfergus in recent times, with many others feeling the pinch and the pressure. Of course, that is regrettable, but we have to be honest and say that it is not hard to believe, when we look at some of challenges that businesses face in Northern Ireland. It is interesting to note that, in East Antrim, we have twice as many young businesses — businesses that are one or two years old —than the rest of the UK. That is the time when businesses are most vulnerable to overheads such as VAT, high rent and rates and staff costs. That is when they need most support. I have also heard directly from numerous local businesses of the difficulties of recruiting and retaining staff, with so many forced to scale back operations or reduce opening hours due to a lack of staffing provision, despite an increase in the minimum wage. A recent survey carried out as part of the PEACE PLUS programme in mid and east Antrim showed that the number of derelict and dilapidated buildings in the town centre was the number-one issue for people in East Antrim. There is constant frustration in the community and in Mid and East Antrim Borough Council, owing to the limited powers that are afforded to the local authorities to deal with the issue. It not only tarnishes the overall look and aesthetic of the town but significantly reduces the retail space available to rent or buy, leading to an increase in price of the remaining stock. The new dilapidation Bill would be a welcome step in the right direction to address the issue and provide some hope to the town centres and city centres that have fallen victim to such dereliction. I very much welcome Back in Business, a scheme that offers businesses a 50% rates reduction for up to two years if they move into premises that have been unoccupied for 12 months or more and were previously used for retail purposes. We all want to see our town centres and shopping areas thriving, and Back in Business aims to bring vibrancy, footfall and investment back into our high streets whilst providing businesses with a boost at the start of their business journey, helping to support jobs and bringing long-term vacant units back into use. However, while we must all continue to support new businesses, we must also support the businesses that struggled through the most difficult COVID years. On paper, the scheme is absolutely excellent, but, as it covers only businesses whose lease began after 1 April 2024 and as, of course, the premises must have been vacant, realistically, how many businesses will benefit from it? Despite all the struggles and challenges that I have detailed, it would be remiss of me not to praise the incredible businesses, Carrickfergus Enterprise and the many support agencies in East Antrim. They have been and are keeping their businesses going, taking the risk, thinking outside the box and powering on to keep our town alive. Carrick Greengrocers, for example, has taken a different approach. It is the first community-owned greengrocer's and the first community-owned business in Carrickfergus town centre, selling locally grown fruit and veg alongside other produce from further afield, with lots of other locally made goods and treats. It aims to enrich the lives of people in Carrickfergus through high-quality, in-season food and to trade in a way that supports a sustainable environment and economy.

It has created a welcoming hub in the town centre that provides opportunities for learning, community, interaction and engagement, with all profits being directed back into the business or other local initiatives aimed at benefiting the Carrickfergus community.

Only this weekend, we witnessed the spectacular Royal Landing festival, which drew tens of thousands of people from all over Northern Ireland and beyond to our wee corner of the world to experience culture and history coming alive on the streets of Carrickfergus. That type of cultural pageantry is popular in Northern Ireland. It represents a significant part of the tourism draw, along the lines of Tourism NI's experiential and thematic pillars of "Being Original", "Legends and Stories" and "awakeners". Those themes focus on the cultural history of the nation and its impact and contribution to the world's history, which we must continue to promote. The wider tourism strategy is to develop the Ulster-Scots project as a cultural resource for Northern Ireland. A recent economic study shows that the projected visitor and participant spend provided a direct economic impact of over half a million pounds for just one day. We have much to be positive about. Those green shoots, however, must be recognised and supported to ensure growth, duplication and positivity in order to rejuvenate the town and beyond. I very much recognise that it is a cross-cutting issue that requires a collaborative response, but my aim is to get East Antrim on the agenda, for the struggles to be realised and for those sectors' urgent concerns to be heard and addressed sooner rather than later.

1,442 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.

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Assessed 21 October 2026 at 10:44 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.

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