The plan was to demolish an existing dwelling to facilitate the extension of retail floor space, bigger carpark, new pedestrian access and cycle parking

An application for the demolition of a house to facilitate the expansion of a Spar garage in the exclusive Cherry Valley area of East Belfast has been refused after a local campaign against it.

Against the recommendation of council officials, elected representatives at Belfast City Council narrowly voted to refuse a planning application around the garage at 46-50 Gilnahirk Road.

The plan, by Maxol Oil Ltd, was to demolish an existing dwelling, 50 Gilnahirk Road, to facilitate a proposed extension and alterations to the existing petrol filling station. This was to include the extension of retail floor space, the extension and the realignment of the carpark, to provide nine additional car parking spaces and new pedestrian access, and cycle parking.

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The site lies within a mixed-use area comprising commercial and residential uses. The area is characterised by a mix of semi-detached and detached dwellings and a row of shops and commercial premises. Number 50 is an unoccupied bungalow.

The May meeting of the council’s Planning Committee at City Hall saw the application go to a vote, with eight councillors in favour of the Maxol plan, all from Sinn Féin, and 11 councillors against, from the DUP, Alliance, the Green Party, and the UUP. A DUP proposal to refuse the application, on terms of retention of residential stocks, and impact on existing residential amenity, was passed.

The decision was against the recommendation of council planning officials, who advised the application should be approved. There were no objections from any of the statutory partners.

The council received 24 representations objecting to the plan, and a petition with 38 signatures, a number of whom also made representations. The objectors were nearby residents, who raised concerns about noise from the resultant development, the increase in traffic and lack of parking, proposed lighting including neon signage, loss of privacy and “erosion of local character of the area.” They also voiced concerns about the demolition of a residential home, which they believed was effectively lowering the housing stock for retail.

Objectors raised concerns about the impact on air quality from more delivery lorries and traffic, and said it would bring too much competition for existing retail in the area. Objectors said the development would lower house prices in the area.

The planning report forwarded to councillors stated: “The applicant has advised that the existing retail store was built approximately 17 years ago and requires modernisation to bring it in line with modern standards, providing greater circulation space in store.” Maxol stated the plan would create seven extra jobs at the site.

The officer planning report states: “The proposal involves the demolition of the existing dwelling at number 50 to facilitate the development. The existing building is not listed, nor within a Conservation Area or Area of Townscape Character and therefore not afforded protection.

“Whilst the proposal will result in the loss of a dwelling, it is considered to comply with policy in that its redevelopment is considered complementary to surrounding residential uses and will not result in any adverse effects on existing residential amenity.”

Alliance Councillor Christine Bower said at the Planning Committee: “While demolition may not need express consent, the loss of housing is a material consideration. This is not a derelict or unusable home, it is being removed primarily because of commercial convenience, not for regeneration or wider public benefit.

“In the context of ongoing housing pressure, and in the objective of maintaining balanced, sustainable neighbourhoods, elected members can conclude that insignificant weight has been given to the loss of a residential dwelling, in a mixed use area.”

She added: “There are clear concerns around residential amenity. The intensification of commercial activity immediately beside homes will increase vehicle movements, forecourt noise and general activity levels

“Traffic and pedestrian safety must be considered. This is a really busy road, serving two schools and a nursery, with DfI confirming to me that it serves around 5,000 road users a day. The area around the garage has no pedestrian crossing and there are no plans from DfI Roads to put any in.”

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The Belfast Fleadh is anticipated to be the biggest cultural event ever held in Belfast

A special Belfast Fleadh caravan and campervan site has been approved in the Titanic area for both the 2026 and 2027 events.

At the Belfast City Council Planning Committee for the month of May, elected representatives unanimously agreed to an application by the council itself for a temporary motorhome site at the Titanic Quarter, between Hamilton Road, Queens Road and Sydenham Road.

The planning application involves the creation of communal recreational spaces, toilets, showers, waste disposal points, a food and drink area, a site office, waste collection, lights, storage areas and “all associated temporary structures and works.”

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The site is a derelict parcel of land immediately north of Belfast Metropolitan College, across the road from and approximately 150 metres southeast of Titanic Hotel, 8 Queens Road, Belfast, BT3.

The temporary campsite will be used to help accommodate some of the expected 800,000 visitors for Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann, which Belfast is set to host during August 2026 and 2027. There were no objections to the plan from third parties or the statutory partners.

The land will provide 349 pitches, 124 parking spaces, 55 toilets and 20 showers. A social hub will be located on the northwest of the site consisting of a food and drinks area, containers, seating area and marquee bar area. The northern section of the site will have an effluent tank, silenced generators and a waste disposal and recycling area.

Belfast for the first time will host Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann, the world’s biggest celebration of Irish music and culture, from Sunday August 2 to Sunday August 9. Qualifying competitors from all over the world will showcase the best of traditional music, song, dance and language in All-Ireland competitions.

It is anticipated to be the biggest cultural event ever held in Belfast. Tourism NI estimates the 2026 Fleadh will bring £60 million into the Northern Ireland economy. It was recently announced Belfast will host the Fleadh again next year.

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“This is really going to be a game changer for Camlough Lake and the south Armagh area.”

Builders for a major £4.6million Co Armagh water sport facility have been approved to begin developing a “game changer” for the community.

The Camlough Lake recreational hub design was approved by the council’s planning committee in February with early images now released ahead of construction.

In a significant step forward in the decade old vision, Newry, Mourne and Down District Council’s strategy, policy and resources committee has now signed off on preferred contractors behind clsoed doors away from the public and media.

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In open session, committee chairperson Oonagh Hanlon said: “It was agreed to progress the appointment of the preferred constractors to delivery the Camlough Lake recreational hub facility subject to completion of the stand still period?”

The development has been mooted from 2017 in the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

The water hub at Camlough Lake will enhance facilities for existing users, support outdoor sport and recreation, boost tourism within the Ring of Gullion AONB and deliver accessible, year-round community space.

An elected member has revealed his first hand experience of using the lake currently being limited with the new facility welcomed as an all inclusive hub.

Speaking to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, Councillor Declan Murphy said: “It is fantastic news that the project is moving on, it is a massive local investment of almost £5m into the area.

“This is really going to be a game changer for Camlough Lake and the south Armagh area.

“I am a user of ther lake and I know at this time everything we use from kayaks to is currently stored in containers some distance away which needs to be carried to the lake for use. We also have no changing facilities or toilets.

“This will really open up the lake to people including those with a disability and I look foreard to the contractors getting on site to progress the hub as soon as possible.”

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So now we know exactly what you get when you cross two distinct brands of Swiss watch-making, one affordable (Swatch) and one luxury (Audemars Piguet). You get a new model of watch that attracts massive hype, huge queues and brawling customers.

For £335, you might also get your hands on a colourful pocket watch. But first you’d have to brave the crowds.

The watches, manufactured as a collaboration (or “collab”) between the two companies, are available in selected Swatch stores, with purchases limited to one item per person, per day, per store.

And before the “Royal Pop” watch collection went on sale on May 16 2026, excitement was already high. On release day, police and security teams were deployed in some places, with a tear gas incident in Paris and fighting in Milan. In the UK and the US, Swatch responded to the intense demand by closing its stores.

A popular product then, and a very effective marketing campaign to go with it. For Swatch, it is the third collaboration with a luxury watch brand in recent years.

The first two (with Omega in 2022 and Blancpain in 2023) were also successful.

One reason for their success if that these partnerships allow consumers to own a little bit of elite watchmaking for a fraction of the cost (a “normal” Audemars Piguet could cost tens of thousands of pounds). Like a Louis Vuitton passport cover or a baseball cap made by Ferrari, it’s a token experience of an elite brand for those who can’t regularly afford them.

From a business communications perspective, it’s a way of introducing large groups of people to luxury brands. It’s similar to how luxury car brands like Aston Martin and Lamborghini license their cars for use in video games such as Forza Horizon or Gran Turismo.

Meanwhile, Swatch gets free press and a positive spin for its entire product portfolio.

Watch what you wish for

From a consumer perspective though, the picture is more complex. The recent frenzy over Swatch’s watches should not be dismissed as merely herd mentality, and nor can it be explained by a sudden surge in demand for mechanical timepieces.

Instead, our research suggests that the response is a clear manifestation of something we call the “enrichment economy” – the fact that if something is in short supply and in high demand, it can be resold at a decent profit.

The enrichment economy has long been a feature of the world of art and antiques, but has also become a familiar part of mass market goods. Swatch has simply followed the example of certain trainers, Pokémon cards, dolls, and Lego sets. For instance, the Lego Cloud City set (originally released in 2003 in limited quantities for about £100) now resells at close to £10,000.

Driven by the chance to make a quick but substantial buck, consumers go out of their way to buy certain products and then resell them for much more than they originally cost.

In the case of Swatch and Audemars Piguet, the evidence for that motivation is clear. The watches sell from the stores at £335, and are being almost immediately offered online for ten times that amount – or even more.

As with other economies, the enrichment economy is prone to periods of boom and bust. For instance, the market for second hand luxury watches, which experienced unprecedented demand a few years ago, has now hit a plateau, forcing resellers to discover new markets with greater investment potential.

So while Swatch is at the centre of the enrichment economy in mid-May 2026, it could easily and quickly be overtaken by another brand or object very soon. And as the cost of living crisis continues, it seems highly likely that the enrichment economy will only expand as people look for ways to supplement their incomes with various side-hustles.

In the meantime, our research also suggests that big brands can do their bit to prevent customers getting so excited that they end up fighting with each other over popular products at shop fronts.

They could, for example, allocate sales using an online lottery system. Or they could prioritise trusted and loyal customers and increase the availability of their merchandise.

From a business and PR perspective, though, Swatch may already have won. By turning the collaboration into a talking point – and making scarcity, controversy and curiosity all work in its favour – the brand is having the time of its life.

Kate and Gerry McCann said they were not consulted about a new true crime programme focusing on the investigation into their daughter’s disappearance.

The parents of Madeleine McCann say they are “disappointed” a new true crime drama about their daughter’s disappearance was made without them being consulted or asked for consent. Kate and Gerry McCann said they “had no involvement whatsoever” in the making of Channel 5’s Under Suspicion: Kate McCann.

It depicts Madeleine’s mother being treated as a suspect during the investigation into her disappearance in May 2007. The drama, starring Slow Horses actress Laura Bayston in the lead role of Kate McCann, aired on Wednesday.

In a statement on the same day, Kate and Gerry raised concerns over the “negative impact” such programmes have on their family as they continue to grieve Madeleine’s disappearance 19 years on. “Thank you to everyone who has offered support & kindness this month,” they wrote on the Find Madeleine Campaign website.

“May is never the easiest. We usually start to feel a bit ‘lighter’ at this stage of the month. We are disappointed however, knowing that a Channel 5 ‘docu-drama’ will air tonight.

“We have not given, or been asked for, our consent and have had no involvement whatsoever in its making. We fail to see how it will help. Programmes like this, always have a negative impact on our family.”

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The statement, which was also posted on the official Find Madeleine Campaign Facebook page, was signed “Kate, Gerry & Family”. Madeleine McCann was three when she went missing from her family’s holiday apartment in Praia da Luz in southern Portugal on May 3 2007, shortly before her birthday.

Portuguese detectives made Kate and her husband Gerry suspects or “arguidos” that September, before lifting the status in July the following year. The new Channel 5 drama focuses on Kate’s interrogation by officers and is based on official police material, documentary evidence and recorded testimony.

The 90-minute film is written by award-winning screenwriter and playwright Philip Ralph, and directed by Paula Wittig, who previously directed Black Widow. Channel 5 was approached for comment by PA.

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A licensing application stage music until 2am daily and for an hour longer on bank holidays at Hima Fuji restaurant, in Lawrence Street, has been lodged with City York Council.

Owner Ze He said the application followed a change of layout at the Asian restaurant and karaoke bar.

But three people living nearby objected claiming they would be exposed to loud music until the early hours and the changes could cause parking problems and antisocial behaviour.

It comes as the application is set to go before a council licensing hearing on Thursday, May 28.

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The premises was previously home to Mojo’s Chinese Cuisine, which has since shut down.

Plans lodged with the council would see the venue allowed to stage live music during its current opening hours of 9am to 2am daily.

It is licensed to serve alcoholic drinks until 1.30am daily.

A resident living in Farrar Street said people who living there who wanted to avoid city centre bars and pubs would be disturbed.

The objector, whose road is on the opposite side of Lawrence Street to Hima Fuji, said: “The request to have live music until late every day is completely insensitive to the neighbouring residents, noise will be a big issue for residents.

“The licence change would negatively impact residents as the
bar and property does not seem to have much parking.

“The streets local to us currently suffer heavily from broken glass that seems
to be there for weeks or longer, I and any other dog owners have to be careful
around this so the animals are not injured by standing on glass.”

Hima Fuji, in Lawrence Street, York (Image: LDRS)

Another objector, who also lives in Farrar Street, said they feared there would be noise from live music, acts and patrons leaving the venue and staff clearing up afterwards.

The objector said: “We believe that a music venue, very close to our street, will adversely affect our quality of life.

“Parking for Farrar Street residents, which has already become much more difficult, could become almost impossible due to, for example, bands delivering or collecting equipment, which incidentally could continue long after closing time.”

A council report on the plans stated all of the restaurant’s karaoke booths at the back of the premises were professionally soundproofed.

Notices asking patrons to leave quietly are also posted at the venue’s exits.

No comments have been made on the application from responsible authorities such as North Yorkshire Police or the council.

The venue is not in a cumulative impact area, those that already have a high number of other licensed premises.

The council’s decision could be appealed by the applicant or representors at a Magistrate’s Court.

Asked how he has achieved such sustained success in the competition, he put his success down to his players: “[European football] is something fantastic. Europe gave us a lot, for myself as well, a lot. I am always very grateful for Europe, for every competition, especially the Europa League.

Southampton winger Leo Scienza has spoken of his “anger” and “sadness” after the club were denied the chance to play in the Championship play-off final due to Spygate

Southampton winger Leo Scienza has hinted at the chaos behind the scenes at the club after they were kicked out of the Championship play-off final for spying. Saints had appealed against the EFL punishment but discovered on Wednesday night that they had been unsuccessful.

It means they will start the 2026/27 season on -4 points in the Championship, while Middlesbrough – the side they beat 2-1 in a two-legged play-off semi-final – will go to Wembley Stadium on Saturday to face Hull City.

Saints manager Tonda Eckert is now facing the sack after it emerged that he was aware of the three spying trips the club admitted, to Oxford United, Ipswich and Middlesbrough. Meanwhile, the club are braced for more ramifications, with the FA likely to dish out further punishment, which could include a ban for those involved.

It is understood that Southampton’s players are considering their options after being robbed of a shot at promotion back to the Premier League by the actions of their own staff. And Scienza, who enjoyed an outstanding debut campaign for Saints, has become the first player to publicly voice his feelings on the subject.

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Scienza wrote on Instagram: “Disappointment, anger, sadness It’s difficult to find the right words for what we’re all feeling right now. What has happened over the last days is heartbreaking. for the club, for every player in this dressing room, and above all for our supporters. A moment like this should never end the way it did.

“I feel sorry for every football fan, as well as the players and supporters of Hull and Boro, who were caught up in all of this chaos too.

“We gave everything for this dream. Day after day, sacrifice after sacrifice, always believing we could bring this club back to where it belongs. For me, the dream of playing in the Premier League was something I fought for with everything I had. That’s why this pain cuts so deep.

“The hardest part is knowing how much our fans deserved this moment. You stood behind us all season with incredible passion, loyalty and belief. Even in the toughest moments, you carried us forward. Thank you for staying with us through everything, you definitely deserved better.”

Southampton‘s statement on Wednesday night read: “Southampton Football Club has this evening been informed that the EFL’s League Arbitration Panel has upheld the sanctions imposed earlier this week. As a result, the club will not participate in Saturday’s Championship Play-Off Final.

“This is an extremely disappointing outcome for everybody connected with Southampton Football Club. We know how painful this moment will be for our supporters, players, staff, commercial partners and the wider community who have given so much backing to the team throughout the season and we apologise once again to everyone impacted by this.

“While we fully acknowledge the seriousness of this matter and the scrutiny that has followed, the club has consistently believed the original sporting sanction was disproportionate, a view that has been widely shared by many in the football community over the last 24 hours.

“We would like to place on record our sincere thanks to our supporters for the support, patience and loyalty they have shown throughout an incredibly difficult period. We will share information as soon as possible in relation to ticket refunds for those who bought tickets to Wembley.

“Southampton Football Club has a proud history and strong foundations, but it is clear that trust now needs to be rebuilt. That work begins immediately. The club will reflect carefully on the events that have led to this point, learn from them and take the necessary steps to move forward responsibly.

“While tonight is a painful moment, this football club will respond with humility, accountability and determination to put things right.”

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