The ongoing fight for Wetherspoons to obtain drinks licenses for the former JJB sports building on Royal Avenue and the former church on University Road, has finally ended.- With Wetherspoons throwing in the towel.

The JJB sports premises which have been empty and in a sorry state for what feels like decades, will now continue to fall apart for the foreseeable future.

The former church, which has been in licensing limbo since Adam was a wee lad, will still be a former church and will still be empty.

Wetherspoons cite the licencing application laws which allow disproportionate weight for local businesses to object. In this case I would guess it was the local pubs who complained, because they don’t want people spending 3 quid on a pint at a Wetherspoons when they could spend 6 quid at their tied Guinness house..

Love or loathe Wetherspoons, it would have been some welcome competition to the rather stagnant Belfast pub scene.

Details here