Debate contribution: High Street and Town Centre Rejuvenation

Debate contribution by Mr Gerry Carroll on 4 November 2024.

MLA

Mr Gerry Carroll

Party at the time

People Before Profit Alliance

Date

4 November 2024

Type

Debate contribution

Business

Private Members' Business

Heading

High Street and Town Centre Rejuvenation

Assembly identifier

Official Report component 4625983

Read the official Assembly record

Text

Thank you, Madam Principal Deputy Speaker. I welcome the debate and thank the Members who contributed to it. Members raised important points on many issues, including empty buildings and the pedestrianisation — I had to say that slowly — of city and town centres. Different issues were raised about rates, some of which I agree with and others less so. We need to insert into the debate the idea of restructuring our rates system in a general sense in order to connect it to profits, income and wealth rather than to metrics and size, as is mainly the case. I ask how many major corporations in our city and town centres that are doing well financially, to put it mildly, pay adequate rates. I expect that very few do. There was a bit of discussion, which I welcome, about Sunday trading hours, hence the amendment, which has received some support and some opposition in a way, although that was not expressly said. We need to defend important time off for workers, which was hard won by them. Weekend breaks were not gifted by nice employers or by the state but rather were hard won through trade union struggle and the gritted teeth of trade unionists. Workers should be able to do what they want with those hours on a Sunday. I am not religious, but workers should be able to go to religious events, family activities, arts events, cultural events or whatever on their day off. By not accepting my amendment, parties will effectively be saying that they are on the side of the employers rather than on that of the workers. For some, that may be the case, and on the side of big employers at that, but I do not think that that is acceptable, given the pressures that workers face and the fact that they are keeping our city centres alive despite challenges. Without those workers, however, there are no city and town centres of which to speak. It is often presented as a modernising idea that we should squeeze every possible hour out of workers and that they should be in work every hour of every day of the week. That idea is unpopular with workers in the sector. They are opposed to it, as I stated earlier. It is also out of step with practices in other countries. In Spain, France and many other countries, people have longer breaks during the day. That is in part because of weather conditions, but if it is good enough for workers in those countries, why can workers here not have extended time when they are not in work? I agree with Members' concerns about plans to erode existing Sunday trading hours. I mentioned Alliance's support for changing the hours, which has been pretty consistent over the years, although I oppose it. Through the debate, we learned that Sinn Féin members of Belfast City Council supported a Sunday trading hours pilot. I am not sure whether there has been a change in Sinn Féin's position — I am happy to give way if anybody wants to clarify that — but I think that it is a bad move. Some may ask, "What is the harm in commissioning a bit of research?", but why waste time and money on a bit of research for a pilot scheme that nobody wants? I respectfully say that it was a bit bizarre that the Member for North Antrim quoted the ICTU policy when the parties opposite seem happy to go against trade unions and workers' issues. That is a bit of a shame, but I welcome the support for the amendment. Phillip Brett mentioned the pedestrianisation of Hill Street and other areas, which I and my party support. People in city and town centres experience homelessness while buildings lie empty. That was not really mentioned in the debate, but it should be a source of shame for the Executive. A housing-first approach would help support people who are experiencing homelessness, tackle the issue and see housing as a human right. Public transport was not mentioned in detail. Obviously, we desperately need to invest in our public transport system. A third of our local workforce commutes into Belfast every day, and many others use public transport to get around the city. The high street task force recommended that the Executive implement an investment programme for blue-green infrastructure and sustainable public transport. Two and a half years later, we are still waiting for delivery. Free public transport should, ultimately, be the aim. Thanks for the debate. I appeal to Members to support my amendment, and I am happy to support the others.

777 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.

Assessment

Not flagged

Jev’s structured answers

Assessed 21 October 2026 at 11:28 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.

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