There have been calls for Belfast City Council to reject a planning application to convert Common Market into a car park.
Lisnasharragh Green Party councillor Brian Smyth has said that "the last thing Belfast needs is another car park" as he voices objection to the planning application to convert the premises which is currently being used as an indoor food market.
He said that previous planning decisions have left parts of the city centre in distress with buildings being "left to rot and crumble", and feels that more needs to be done to ensure that small and independent businesses are able to thrive.
Read more: Plans submitted to turn popular Belfast food market into car park
It is understood that an updated car parking strategy for Belfast had been delayed by the council due to Covid, however the most recent one carried out in 2018 showed that only 65% of city centre car park spaces were used daily.
He said: "I find it inconceivable that such an application is coming before this city council, It would be a retrograde step to add more parking provision into the city centre.
"This feels like cynical short-term profiteering from a private company.
"The area surrounding the Common Market venue is serviced by a number of outdoor car parks as well as the St Anne’s Square car park.
"We have a city centre where parts of it are in distress due to previous planning decisions that have effectively seen large swathes of its land banked by Private Developers and where buildings have been left to rot and crumble for years.
"If anything, we need to create the conditions to support small and medium businesses to have the confidence to invest in Belfast, endless car parking leads to further congestion. Belfast is already one of the most congested cities on these islands, and our air quality as a result is some of the worst.
"We desperately need a cleaner greener city centre that is attractive to people to spend time in it.
"Is the height of ambition for our city to be locked into a future of crumbling buildings, endless car parks, and toxic air? The soul of the place is on the ropes, and we desperately need to change our collective mindset
"I hope the planning committee at Belfast City Council will be able to reject this application."
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