Four businesses within a fire-damaged industrial estate in Bessbrook have finally received permission to rebuild their units… almost three years after the incident took place.
All of the businesses affected were forced to seek temporary accommodation after the blaze ripped through Loughbrook Industrial Estate in December 2023.
It took over 60 firefighters, five fire appliances, a command support unit, an aerial appliance and water tanker more than 12 hours to bring the fire under control and an investigation was launched the following day to determine the cause.
Four of the businesses impacted – Ax Board, Antique Style Reproductions, Priority Truck Parts and HMG Properties – then submitted planning applications to rebuild their premises to Newry, Mourne and Down District Council (NMDDC) in February 2025.
A fifth business – Connex Offsite – were the only manufacturing business within the industrial estate to survive the fire and, as such, they reinstated their building “expeditiously” in order to “minimise disruption” and put in for retrospective planning permission.
The businesses that were left without premises have all had to rebuild to the best of their ability in temporary accommodations over the last two years.
This has been both costly and frustrating.
In February 2026, some of the business owners spoke to Armagh I to voice their frustration with Newry, Mourne and Down District Council’s lack of expediency in dealing with their applications.
By that stage it had been an entire year since they had first lodged their applications.
Related: Bessbrook: Firefighters tackle blaze at commercial premises
Not only frustrated by the delay, they were also becoming increasingly concerned of rising costs associated with construction.
Speaking back in February, Paul Owens of Priority Truck Parts said: “The price to build now is getting ridiculous that when we build these units they are going to be worth less built than what it’s going to cost to build them.”
Thankfully, the businesses have now all received a green light from Council to proceed with their plans.
It will undoubtedly take some time for work to be completed but after almost three years of working out of temporary accommodation, it will likely come as music to their ears that they can now lay the foundations to their permanent units.
