After plans were approved by Newry, Mourne and Down District Council (NMDDC) for the regeneration of Newry’s famous canal in April, Minister Liz Kimmins says she will “get behind” the project once she casts eyes over a letter that should have crossed her desk.
Back in April, NMDDC unanimously agreed a motion to pursue funding and development of the historic waterway and later in June supported repair works to ‘Forsythes Lock’ as part of the wider redevelopment plans.
However, they are still pursuing funding and support from the Department for Infrastructure.
At an Assembly Meeting on Monday (June 29) during a Ministerial Statement on the North/South Ministerial Council inland waterways meeting, the DfI head, Liz Kimmins was probed for her level of commitment to the project.
While the Minister’s statement largely focused on the Ulster Canal restoration project, Newry and Armagh MLA, Justin McNulty had questions about the future of waterways in his constituency.
He asked: “Minister, you will be aware that a joint working group involving Newry, Mourne and Down District Council and Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon (ABC) Borough Council has been set up to prioritise the regeneration of the Newry canal.
“Earlier this month, the working group agreed to write to you and the Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs to seek the establishment of a multi-agency task force to help drive forward that regeneration project.
“Will you commit to throwing your full support and that of your Department behind that effort by backing the establishment of the task force and by working proactively with local councils and partners, including the Department of the Taoiseach’s Shared Island unit, to realise finally the enormous economic, tourism and environmental potential of the Newry canal?”
Minister Kimmins replied, “Where do I start?”
She expressed that during her own time on NMDDC together they “championed” the need to further enhance and maximise the potential of the canal.
“With the Newry city park moving closer to construction and other work happening in the area, there is a real opportunity for us to do that,” she continued.
“One of the things that we did when I was on the council was to create that linkage between ABC Borough Council and Newry, Mourne and Down District Council, because we recognised that regeneration of the canal concerns both council areas.”
However, as of yet, the aforementioned letter from the working group in Newry is yet to make its way across the Minister’s desk.
“The letter has not come to me directly yet,” said Kimmins. “It may be with officials at this time.”
Once received, the Minister has pledged to give her full support to the scheme, adding: “I will certainly look out for it, because I am happy to get behind anything that we can do to support the project.”
The working group have ambitious plans to revitalise both the canal and the seaward Newry Ship Canal taking in the Albert Basin.
McNulty thus asked whether Minister Kimmins will back the establishment of that taskforce and work proactively with the local councils and partners including the Department of the Taoiseach’s Shared Island Unit to finally realise the potential of the Newry Canal.
In response, the Minister stated that “Anything we can do to support this going forward, I’m happy to do.”
