The company behind a £33 million proposals for the redevelopment of the site of a former Mother and Baby home in Newry – described by one former inhabitant as a “hellhole” – have taken the next step in the planning process.
Due to scale of the development, a Proposal of Application Notice (PAN) was submitted to submitted to Newry, Mourne and Down District Council in the name of Mr Paul Ward of RICAPA Ltd, the company behind Shelbourne Motors back in October 2025.
Council determined the PAN acceptable and, as such, RICAPA Ltd have now submitted a request for outline planning permission.
The proposals relate to a 19.96 acre site north of 128 Armagh Road and east of the A1 motorway where the site of the Marianvale Mother and Baby Home was located prior to its demolition in the latter half of 2021.
The home opened on the site of the former Good Shepard Convent and admitted many hundreds of women in its almost 30 years of operation.
It’s controversial operations – which saw hundreds of mothers “inhumanely” separated from their babies – were well documented in The Mother’s & Babies and Magdalene Laundries Report, released by the Stormont Executive in 2021.
Among the scheme proposals outlined in the PAN, permission is being sought for the construction of a Maxol Petrol Station Forecourt Supermarket and Drive-Thru (which was granted approval as part of a separate application in November 2019) and a café and parking that would each occupy the North East corner of the site and be immediately accessible from the Armagh Road roundabout.
To the Southern-most end of the site plan, a HGV Drivers Services and Information Centre would be positioned including shower and sanitary facilities as well as an HGV Long and Short Stay Park serving 180 vehicles.
Adjacent to this permission is also being sought for a General Industrial Warehouse spanning 2200sqm with associated parking and a multi-storey call centre with associated facilities including under store parking.
Beyond the proposed call centre location lays an existing graveyard, which the plans say will continue to be “maintained and respected in its original location with no adverse change in ground levels”.
In regards to the graveyard and the site’s significant and sensitive historical background, a design and access statement states: “The applicant is acutely aware of the historical sensitivities associated with the site’s former use.
“In recognition of the profound significance of the on-site graveyard and the concerns regarding potential unmarked burials, the proposal adopts a precautionary approach of absolute non-disturbance in these sensitive zones.
“The design and construction methodology will be guided by a robust archaeological statement which will be submitted and agreed upon with the relevant authorities and
stakeholders, to ensure that the dignity of the site is upheld and dealt with accordingly.
“Any archaeological dig will be undertaken by Gahn and Long a licenced and reputable company.”
Adjacent to the graveyard and positioned beside the proposed HGV Long and Short Stay Park the plans account for a further two-storey commercial building with designated parking to rear.
Across from the existing Shelbourne Showroom on the Armagh Road, the plans provide for a “modern medium sized car showroom” fronting the A28, a “light industrial units dual aspect elevation” spanning 1200 sqm in total with associated parking and servicing and a distribution warehouse extending to 40,000 sqft with associated HGV, customer and staff parking.
In regards to the outline planning application submitted in February 2026, the company are requesting permission for specific development works comprising the erection of the HGV drivers services and information centre including shower and sanitary facilities; the construction of HGV long and short stay park; erections of a two-storey crash repair centre with designated parking to the rear; erection of a modern medium-sized two storey car showroom fronting the A28 and construction of a new link road connecting Armagh Road and Shepards Way.
Clarman Architects – acting on behalf of RICAPA Ltd – state in support of the application that their client is “advancing this proposal to remediate a critical infrastructure deficit within the region”.
They add: “The primary objective of this proposal is to establish Newry as a ‘prime location in the export and import logistical distribution network’ of the island of Ireland.”
This is seen as addressing an “urgent, verified infrastructure deficit” as demonstrated by the Stantec analysis, the post-Brexit surge in cross-border trade has placed
unsustainable pressure on the region’s logistics network.
It adds: “This hub provides the essential ‘lay-up’ capacity required to support Warrenpoint Port, enhance the efficiency of the A1 corridor, and relieve congestion in Newry City Centre”.
If approved, the project is anticipated to support 370 jobs during the construction phase and 760 jobs (direct and indirect) upon becoming operational.
The design and access statement states the scheme could contribute “approximately £71 million gross value added (GVA) per annum to the economy”, generating estimated business rates of £690,000 per annum for the local authority.
In regards to the proposed link road, they add: “A new, purpose-built link road connecting the A28 Armagh Road to the Shepherds Way roundabout is central to the design.
“This road is designed to full DfI Roads standards, specifically to accommodate the turning radii and stacking requirements of articulated HGVs.
“The new link road, along with all associated junctions off existing roads and roundabouts, has been rigorously designed in accordance with DFI roads standards, as detailed in the accompanying Transport Statement and Roads Design documentation.”
The application is due to be advertised shortly.
