Dirty windows, broken lights and no communication - life as a Smithfield Market trader

ByBarry O'Connor

BBC News NI

Dirty windows, broken lights and a lack of communication are all concerns some traders at Smithfield Market have with Belfast City Council.

Smithfield was established as a market in 1848 on the site of the old trading place for corn and hide. It was firebombed in 1974 but was since rebuilt.

But some traders have told BBC News NI that the site has become rundown and an "afterthought" for the council.

A Belfast City Council spokesperson said their "markets team maintains regular, active engagement with Smithfield traders to collaborate on the upkeep and maintenance of the site".

All 27 units at the market are currently occupied, but walking around the market on a weekday mid-morning during the summer holidays you probably would not think that.

There was very little footfall and you could see a tired, dated building that needs some TLC. Something traders have been asking for.

'Outside is so dirty'

Ryan Gilmore, who owns the football memorabilia shop NI Clasico, has been based at the market on and off since 2019.

He said, in that time, "nothing's really changed".

"If the shutters outside were painted and the building was clean it would be a lot more appealing for you walking down the street to go 'I wonder what's in there'."

He believes a lot of the issues are relatively "simple" fixes.

"I think that's where the frustration comes from because, yes we're asking them to spend some money on repairs, I understand that, and I understand budgets are potentially tight for them, but it's their building and they should have a budget to maintain it," he continued.

Gilmore has aired his frustrations with Belfast City Council on social media.

He said the council is not engaging with traders, but that they have carried out "minimal cleaning" since he first flagged concerns.

Gilmore is not alone in his concerns.

Alan Taylor owns Coffee & Heroes which has been in Smithfield for nearly a decade.

He opened the café and comic book shop as he had "happy memories" of the market as a child.

"In general, Smithfield has been good to us, but there's definitely a sense of being slightly ignored, certainly when it comes to other markets in Belfast or other places," he said.

"You look at the outside of the building, you look at some of the issues there, but you try make a place where people want to come to and you know go from there."

Taylor said a "tiny bit of advertising, a tiny coat of paint" would improve the space.

He added that he believes the council has a responsibility that it is "not particularly" meeting.

"The last meeting we had was around two years ago and that was to let us know there were rent increases and there were three units went out of business within three months of that," he added.

"As long as you pay your rent, you literally do not hear a word from the council."

Gary McCann, whose family has owned McCann's Army Surplus Shop for three generations, said that Smithfield is "the worst it's ever been".

"They do very little for us here and recently nearly everything that could be broken, is broken," he said.

"Last year during the winter all four lights in our corridor were off making us look like we were shut down. Wi-fi doesn't work. There was no hot water in the toilets for a while and these are fairly important things, but never mind the fact that the whole building is run down," he said.

"They don't spend any money on it. They never engage with us and help us.

"It's poorly managed and the footfall is almost non-existent," McCann added.

"This place has some very interesting shops that aren't in the rest of Belfast. You know these people need these jobs to pay a mortgage.

"It's a great space to get out of the community and it's lovely. I like working here. We've worked here for a very long time.

"I know council is a hard thing to run. I understand that. But I'd just love them to take a little bit more interested in it."

In a statement Belfast City Council said it "remains committed to Smithfield Market, which is an asset in our city's retail heritage".

Adding that the council takes tenant's feedback seriously and use it to guide "ongoing improvements".

"While historic indoor markets present unique operational challenges, our maintenance teams are actively addressing immediate issues, including external weeding, deep cleaning, and structural upkeep," it continued.

"We value our partnership with the traders and will continue to work closely with them to ensure Smithfield Market remains a welcoming destination for local shoppers and visitors alike."

Green Party councillor Brian Smyth said the council had "made a lot of progress around St George's Market", but that Smithfield has "become a bit of an afterthought".

He pointed to projects that are happening in Belfast city centre and said it feels like the area around Smithfield Market has been ignored.

Smyth said there are "some fantastic little places in there and I think that it needs a little bit of love".