Cathedral Quarter: Hill Street pedestrianisation plan ‘on hold’

In a letter sent to Cathedral Quarter Business Improvement District (BID) in July, O’Dowd said he could not give a timescale for the plans.

“My department has been operating in a difficult financial environment for a number of years due to underfunding and austerity by the British government,” he said.

“Unfortunately, given the current workload, competing business priorities, and reduced staffing levels, it is likely that the pedestrianisation of Hill Street will not progress as quickly as we would wish, and delivery of the scheme will be delayed.”

Damien Corr, manager of Cathedral Quarter BID, described it as a “missed opportunity”.

“It was nearly a done deal. We can’t see how there was much more left to do,” he said.

He expressed confusion over how any financial constraints in the Department for Infrastructure could delay the project.

“We can’t see what the cost of this is. It’s not as if we have to dig the road up,” he added.

“We have offered to help in any way we can, and we have invited the minister down to the site.”