Infrastructure Minister Chris Thomas says that his department will go through the judicial system if the Lord street site continues to be used as a car park.

The land was initially purchased in 2018 by SPV Ltd, with Kane Ltd, of which businessman Stephen Bradley is listed as the director, acting as the guarantor.

The proposals received planning approval in May 202o for a mixed use development.

The plans included a hotel, 20 flats, cafes, a restaurant, multiplex cinema (inset) and a multi-storey car park.

It was also agreed that the Department of Infrastructure was to lease the back part of the site for an information centre and bus station.

A formal agreement for emergency car parking was in place between 2021 and 2022, which expired May 15 2022.

Mr Thomas said that the DoI had been in frequent correspondence with the owner of the land on the matter.

He said: ‘This has been something that I have been very actively involved in, trying to work out what to do next.

‘If the owner does not close the area for motor vehicles, then the department will be left with no alternative than to resolve the matter through the judicial process.

‘In terms of the bus station and travel centre facilities, there is an agreement for lease signed by both parties and it’s very important for the future of public transport that is delivered.’

‘It takes a long time to build this type of development, but everything has been done by the Department for Enterprise, the Department of Infrastructure, Treasury and many other bodies to finally bring to fruition this development.’

Yet the minister was unable to provide any dates as to when construction would commence, having been pushed on the matter by various MHKs.

He said: ‘I hope that the private developer will be able to make its own announcements about its own plans very soon.

Conor Bradley, commercial director of Kane Ltd and the son of businessman Stephen Bradley, said: ‘There is a lot of work ongoing in relation to a revised scheme with various design professionals, property agents and also with government agencies. Covid, the economic environment, inflation and interest rates have all impacted on the original scheme, and it is vital that we get all aspects of the revised scheme correct, including timing.

There are discussions with the DoI currently ongoing in relation to the use of the car park for this interim period, which will include a revised planning period.’