A once-thriving shopping centre in east Belfast has been left to decay and is now plagued by anti-social behaviour, with police forced to intervene. The Connswater Shopping Centre, which opened in 1983, closed suddenly in March of last year after declining footfall and high vacancy rates led to receivership. The 162,000 square foot complex, housing 52 units including former Boots and Carphone Warehouse stores, has become a magnet for urban explorers and vandals.
Urban Explorers Document Decay
Jamie Robinson, who runs a YouTube channel exploring forgotten locations, visited the site and described it as an 'eerie remains' with empty shopfronts and decaying corridors. 'It is mental to think that a big shopping centre like this can just go abandoned,' he said in a vlog. 'What's crazy is this would have been a thriving shopping centre back in its day.' Other explorers have travelled from as far as the United States to capture footage of the gutted interior, which includes a former food court and sealed-off shops.
Police Crack Down on Anti-Social Behaviour
The site has been closed for over a year, and anti-social behaviour, including criminal damage, has become a major issue. On April 15, police detained a 14-year-old girl after youngsters entered the derelict site. The following day, three more young people were detained. PSNI Neighbourhood Inspector Dawson said: 'We are aware of ongoing issues of anti-social behaviour, including criminal damage at the derelict premises. Derelict buildings by their very nature can be unsafe, and we do not want to see anyone being injured as a result of being inside.' He urged parents to speak to their children about the dangers and stressed that such behaviour is unacceptable.
Community Concerns and Future Plans
The front windows of the centre have been smashed and boarded up. Councillor Ruth Brooks said: 'There is fencing around the site, but that can't be sustainable in the long-term, and certainly what people don't want to see is the continued decline of a building just left to rot.' She noted that the area already faces dereliction issues and that the closure has sparked conversations about changing retail needs, the workforce, and potential housing. No decisions have been made about the site's future, but options include housing and mixed-use retail.
Impact on Local Businesses
The sudden closure hit local businesses hard. Winston Grayson told the BBC: 'It's really good, it will be a big miss.' Barry Macaulay, CEO of Arts Care, a charity that spent £40,000 upgrading its unit before being given just two weeks' notice to leave, said: 'After spending all that money, with two weeks' notice, we were told to get out and lost every penny of that. We're a small charity, we can't afford to throw £40,000 away. That really angers me.' He added that while the charity has regrouped, the experience was traumatic.
