Castle Place ‘optical illusion’ barriers to be removed

A temporary barrier in place for more than two years due to an “optical illusion” along a Belfast city centre footpath is to be removed.

The fencing was erected at Castle Place over concerns that a drop between the edge of a kerb and a cycle lane was difficult to see, causing pedestrians to trip and fall.

Businesses and politicians branded it an “eyesore” and expressed frustration at delays in finding a permanent solution.

The Department for Infrastructure (DfI) said work would be carried out “in the coming weeks” to enable the removal of the barrier “ahead of the Christmas period”.

The cycle lane was added to the streetscape during the Covid-19 pandemic as part of a £52,000 scheme involving the city council and the department.

A lay-by beside the cycle lane was filled in, creating an extra strip of footpath.

But concerns later emerged that the drop between the edge of the pavement and the cycle lane was difficult for some people to see.

A temporary barrier was erected in January 2023 after an elderly woman suffered facial injuries in a fall.

Roads officials said an “optical illusion appeared to have been created when the footway was extended next to the cycle lane”, according to correspondence seen by BBC News NI.

The department commissioned consultants to draw up proposals to resolve the issues.

Consultancy fees were more than £11,000 in 2023-24, the Stormont department said in response to a Freedom of Information request.

The department said the works “in the coming weeks” will involve removing the extra strip of footway.

“The removal of the footway will allow us to remove the barrier boards and open up the street ahead of the Christmas period,” it added.

“The cycle lane will remain in place once the barriers are removed.”

It said the removal of the strip of footway “should provide a clearer demarcation between the road and the cycle lane”.

The Stormont department said it was also “continuing to work towards a more permanent solution”.

It said it was developing proposals for a “rain garden” – a planted area to help capture and absorb rainwater.

Martina Connolly, chief executive of the Belfast One Business Improvement District, said they were “delighted” the barrier was being removed.

She said that while it has “proved difficult to achieve”, it was “encouraging that the voices of the business community are now being heard”.

Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP) councillor Gary McKeown welcomed the plans but said that “it’s ridiculous how long it has taken to get to this point”.

He said the area should be safe but it was an “embarrassment that a key public space in the city centre has looked like a building site for a number of years”.

“I know a lot of people are frustrated about how parts of the centre of Belfast look, and drawn-out issues like this, which really should be fixed quickly, don’t help,” he added.