Donagh McGoveran

[Donagh McGoveran @donaghmac]

@belfastcc @VisitBelfast called into the new Halt food court today. Hugely disappointing to see practically nothing open except the bar. Lots of tourists about on a Bank Holiday Monday… we need to be properly open for business !!

[Donagh McGoveran @donaghmac]

@bbctheview @gordonlyons1 @JP_Biz @MarkCarruthers7 SMEs here are most definitely taxed to death. No rates relief like in England for last 3 years and VAT v south is about to be 11% gap … and that’s before NIC increase… incentive to grow or reinvest is non existent

[Donagh McGoveran @donaghmac]

@SuitorBrothers @belfastcc Brilliant! Just don’t try a get a bus to town, today or tomorrow…. “Holiday timetable” aka one every hour if u are very lucky!

[Donagh McGoveran @donaghmac]

@CircleLineBT 2 serious accidents in the last 6 months, one a pedestrian, one a cyclist, but carry on with the car and bus having priority over 15,000 students trying to get to class safely 😬

[Donagh McGoveran @donaghmac]

@CarlJWhyte @ClaireHanna @MatthewOToole2 @PaulDoherty___ @garymckeown @SDLPlive @NorthBelfastNew @SDLPNorthB @DonalLyons @DestinationCQ Huge missed opportunity. Surrounded by roads on 3 sides. 15,000 pedestrians using the Uni, expect more incidents of people getting knocked down in the area.

[Donagh McGoveran @donaghmac]

@PlanBelfast Hugh missed opportunity to start the pedestrianisation of this area. Shows real lack of ambition IMO

[Donagh McGoveran @donaghmac]

@CarlJWhyte Store opened in 2016. Off Licence opened 2023. Ur party were too busy getting photo ops at new Lidl stores to attend for either. Local family businesses not deemed as important obviously!

[Donagh McGoveran @donaghmac]

@ClaireHanna England have had 75% rates relief for last 2 years and 45% for this year. NI executive got this but decided retailers here didn’t deserve it. Becoming impossible for independent retailing here, especially in the middle of said dereliction!

[Donagh McGoveran @donaghmac]

@OrlaSmyth311 75% rates relief in England over the last 2 years for retail and hospitality not passed on here, so no hope it will be this time. NI employer contributions now way ahead of ROI and VAT running at 20% v 13.5% too… divergence not convergence on the All Island economy continues

[Donagh McGoveran @donaghmac]

@newsmulg While the rest of us with businesses on Donegall St pay full whack every year as the buildings beside us crumble. Time for BCC to get the finger out and move on from this shambles

[Donagh McGoveran @donaghmac]

@BBCMarkSimpson The rest of the High Street has to pay rates!

[Donagh McGoveran @donaghmac]

@BBCMarkSimpson And didn’t come up on todays GCSE History paper, much to my daughters frustration!!

[Donagh McGoveran @donaghmac]

U would think Judas would have enough on his plate at this time of the year!

[Donagh McGoveran @donaghmac]

@OLSPCK_RE @lesleyemerson1 Our pleasure at McGoverans Centra! Hope to see some of u back as students at Queens in the future!

[createstreets @createstreets]

Ever heard of Toulouse as a city centre whose improved street design is revolutionising local prosperity?

It’s not normally lauded as a case study. But quality of the street design is staggering. The results are stunning. Literally no empty shops in town centre. How? A short 🧵

[Donagh McGoveran @donaghmac]

@thomasniblock @BBCSounds @BBCSPORTNI @ConorMcManus_15 @CelticFC @Armagh_GAA @crossrangers Thanks for a great night. As a Dub, there with 2 Derry men (1 from Glen), the drive back to Belfast would have been a good addition to the discussion!!

[Donagh McGoveran @donaghmac]

@nevenmaguire thank u for an amazing evening, brilliant as always, with 4 new converts to help spread the word in Belfast.

[Donagh McGoveran @donaghmac]

@belfastcc @deptinfra great to see Sugarhouse Entry nearly ready to open, but where are the bins going to go because they definitely can’t stay here!!

[Donagh McGoveran @donaghmac]

@News_Letter Well meaning as sending a letter may be, the time for this approach is well gone. @HospUlster and @retail_ni need to organise their members to stop paying all rates until we get the discount we are entitled to.