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Date: 6 November 2025
Making sure buildings are safe and secure is the responsibility of individual property owners, but Belfast City Council does have powers to act whenever we receive information regarding safety concerns.
In July 2025, officers received a request to investigate further information regarding some of the apartments at Victoria Square. Based on information which subsequently came to light, council sought the consent of the Department for Infrastructure to temporarily close Mongomery Street.
This was due to potential issues with some columns inside the apartments, including a column close to Montgomery Street, and was based upon the assessment of the council’s Building Control surveyors, along with advice from an independent chartered engineer.
This was – and remains - a precautionary measure, taken in the interest of public safety, while our investigations continue. There was no information to suggest that it was also necessary to close Chichester Street or any other area.
Officers provided an update to affected businesses, including those based in Erskine House. Our team also advised that any decisions in relation to mitigations were the responsibility of the owners of individual premises, not the council.
Information about the temporary closure was also shared with media outlets and the council clarified the precautionary nature of the closure in all follow-up media enquiries.
The pedestrianised section of Montgomery Street remains closed, and our team are working at pace, with the parties to the litigation, to reopen Montgomery Street as soon as possible.
We understand city centre workers, business owners and shoppers will have concerns about this issue, particularly in the run-up to the busy Christmas period. We want to reassure you that the council takes public safety extremely seriously and was proactive in closing Montgomery Street in July, based on the information we received and the assessment carried out.
Our current assessment is that, based on the information available to us, Montgomery Street should remain closed at this time.
We are not in receipt of any information which would necessitate a similar closure of Chichester Street, and we have no information to suggest a wider risk to pedestrians or other buildings in this area.
Council officers will liaise with stakeholders to provide further updates in relation to this issue when it is possible to do so.
It is important to point out that this is a complex situation which relates to ongoing civil proceedings. The Council cannot disclose information which is, or may be, subject to legal proceedings.