Most people celebrate the opening of a new pub, however, the news that Lidl has been given the green light to install a drinking hole in one of its supermarkets here has drawn the ire of one Belfast councillor. Last week, a challenge against the German supermarket chain being granted approval to open a pub within its Dundonald store was dismissed, largely because Lidl established there was an inadequacy of bars in the surrounding area, which is required under our licensing laws. There’s also the odd situation in NI where there is only a finite number of alcohol sale licences, so a new one can only be granted if another one is surrendered, which happened in Lidl’s case. In recent days, Belfast councillor Carl Whyte took to X to hit out at the situation. He said our “out of date” laws have been “exposed” by allowing a German supermarket chain to “open a bar on its bread aisle”, while there have been no new bars or off-licences opened around the new Ulster University Belfast campus since it opened, despite the influx of more students to the area. While no ‘new’ bars in the area may have opened — as in those with new licences — several premises have been revamped and opened under new names.