Abandoned shopping centre in UK ‘left to rot’ and plagued by major problem | UK | News

A once cherished and thriving shopping center in east Belfast is now abandoned and has been devastated by anti-social behavior in recent weeks.

Connswater Shopping Center enjoyed a 40-year run before closing its doors with just two weeks’ notice in March last year after mounting problems such as declining footfall and rising vacancy rates forced it into liquidation.

Since then, it has become a magnet for urban explorers, who often come across shattered windows and scattered debris in the former parking lot as they film the hollowed-out mall with its abandoned food court and shuttered stores.

Jamie Robinson, who documents forgotten places on his YouTube channel, visits “eerie ruins” and reports “empty storefronts and decaying hallways, traces of a place once teeming with life.”

“It’s a mental thing to think that a big mall like this could be abandoned, like I find it so weird. The crazy thing is that it was a successful mall at the time,” he said in his vlog.

Other explorers traveled from as far away as America to film inside the sprawling 162,000-square-foot complex, which once housed 52 units including the former Boots and Carphone Warehouse.

The site, which has been vacant for over a year, has been plagued by anti-social behavior including criminal damage; Last month, four young people were detained by the police. At 19.25 on April 15, a 14-year-old girl was detained after several young people entered the abandoned area. The next day, 3 more young people were detained.

Authorities have warned young people against anti-social behavior and continue to work with local residents to find solutions, while also urging parents to talk to their children about the risks associated with such behaviour.

PSNI Neighborhood Inspector Dawson said: “We are aware of ongoing issues of anti-social behaviour, including criminal damage in derelict buildings, and continue to engage with residents and community representatives. “Derelict buildings can be inherently unsafe and we do not want to see anyone injured as a result of being inside.

“Young people who choose to engage in anti-social behavior must understand that this is unacceptable and put an end to it. People have the right to live peacefully and feel safe in their communities. “Officers continue to work with partner agencies, local representatives and the community to find collaborative and proactive solutions to address the problem.

“Parents and guardians should talk to their teens about where they are and who they are with, and also warn them about the dangers of engaging in behavior that could lead to injury to themselves, others, or ultimately a criminal record.”

The mall’s front windows were broken and boarded up; Councilwoman Ruth Brooks also spoke about the ongoing issue. He said: “There are fences around the site but this cannot be sustainable in the long term and certainly what people do not want to see is the continued collapse of a building left to rot.

“We’re already dealing with a lot of dereliction and dilapidation on Newtownards Road and we’re trying to overcome some of the challenges that building control or the council have in dealing with that. So we certainly don’t want to see that continue.”

Residents voiced their concerns to a number of media outlets after the center fell into the hands of insolvency practitioners.

“It’s really good, it’s going to be a big miss,” Winston Grayson told BBC News NI.

Barry Macaulay, chief executive of Arts Care, an arts and health charity which operated for 18 months before the mall closed, told BelfastLive how they were “still reeling” after the sudden closure.

He revealed the charity had spent £40,000 developing the unit and planned to stay there for at least three years.

Barry said: “After spending all this money, we were told to get out with two weeks’ notice and lose every penny of it. We’re a small charity, we can’t afford to throw away £40,000. It really pisses me off.”

He continued: “While we were taking a financial hit, we bounced back. We weren’t going to let that destroy our organization. We managed to pull ourselves back together, but it was a traumatic time and we’re still reeling from it.”

No decisions have yet been made on the future of the Connswater site, although proposals have so far focused on residential and mixed-use retail development.

Sharing her views on the issue, councilor Ruth said: “The closure of the site has opened up a debate about how retail is changing in the area. You need to strike the right balance and I think, as we see a lot of offices being built, due to coronavirus, the conversation continues about what the workforce needs and what retail needs and we look at the wider area.

“There is also a debate about the need for housing in the area. I think there are a number of options being looked at, but anything agreed needs to be fit for the future.”