Cathedral Quarter street to be pedestrianised in November

Long-delayed plans to pedestrianise a cobbled street in a popular Belfast nightlife area will proceed later this year, Stormont's infrastructure minister has said.

Hill Street is part of the city's Cathedral Quarter and contains several bars and restaurants.

It was closed to vehicles for a trial period in 2020 during the Covid-19 pandemic, but extending the scheme has faced years of delays.

Liz Kimmins said an informal consultation with businesses had "concluded positively" and the changes are expected to be implemented in November.

"Following an informal consultation period during which concerns were raised by some businesses in the area around access to their premises, my officials agreed to undertake further discussions," she said.

"Those discussions have now concluded positively and I can confirm that the necessary paperwork is currently being prepared to allow the experimental legislation to move forward."

The plans will be introduced as an "experimental scheme" for an initial period of six months, the Department for Infrastructure (DfI) said.

It added this can be extended up to 18 months before a decision must be taken to remove the changes or make them permanent.

In September last year, then-Infrastructure Minister John O'Dowd said pedestrianisation proposals had been "put on hold".

The Sinn Féin minister blamed "several competing work priorities" and also cited "underfunding and austerity by the British government".

It later emerged the cost of the project was estimated to be about £5,000.

Some businesses criticised delays while a Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) assembly member said the reasons given were "frankly ridiculous".

Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP) assembly member Matthew O'Toole, leader of the opposition in the Northern Ireland Assembly, welcomed "some progress at long last".

He said Hill Street was an example of the Stormont executive's "failure to deliver on even the simplest of initiatives".

"While I welcome some progress at long last, we will be seeking assurances that this isn't just another temporary measure," he said.