A “transformational” £40m double investment in Newry city centre has been approved.
Newry, Mourne and Down District Council’s (NMDDC) new £17m civic centre and £23m theatre and conference centre were signed off by the planning committee on Wednesday (December 18).
The local authority faced almost 2,600 objections to the building of its new HQ behind the city’s 200 year old Gothic Granite Cathedral, mainly due to car-parking concerns.
The application had been submitted in March 2023 with a number of deferments due to submissions by Newry Parish against it.
Objecting in chambers, Canon Francis Brown said: “The Cathedral is not opposed to change, but the lack of engagement by the council with its nearest and oldest neighbours from 1829 has resulted in significant anger and frustration towards the proposal.
“The council has acted as if we do not exist and that the views and opinions of Newry Cathedral and its parishioners simply do not matter. In 2029, the Cathedral will be 200 years old, and whilst we would like to see the area enhanced it cannot at the detriment of historic interest through the obliteration of critical views.”
A spokesperson for the parish further highlighted a “massive net loss of 893 parking spaces” and an “inaccuracy” of the council’s traffic survey, stating that 12 out of 16 days had been carried out during the Covid period.
He said: “This will have a profound and long lasting negative effect on Newry city centre affecting shoppers, businesses, parishioners, tourists, families and all those who visit the city.”
However, an agent for NMDDC referred to a parking survey of the Abbey Way site with amended plans to provide 138 car park spaces at the site, saying it is above the maximum occupancy rates of mass goers recorded.
A free car park at North Street site located across a dual carriageway, approximately 150 yards from the new civic centre is due to be managed by NMDDC as a pay and display parking area.
The council has also invested in staff car parking at Cecil Street beside Newry leisure centre and will operate using a shuttle bus to the new local authority HQ.
The NMDDC agent said: “The proposed civic hub will breathe new life into the city centre and make a positive contribution to the conservation of the area surrounding built heritage.
“It’ll create a new public front overlooking the Cathedral while maintaining a proportion of the surface carpark. Careful consideration has been given to the setting of the Cathedral and we believe the development will enhance the setting and respect the prominence of the Grade A listed building.”
After one hour and 30 mins, a majority vote of seven approved the application with one against and one abstention.
The chamber heard that the Department for Infrastructure (DfI) “reserves the right to call in the approval”.
Just 500 yards away, another council application for a four storey theatre and conference centre and extension to the Town Hall was also unanimously approved.
The new theatre will seat over 250 people and will be linked to Newry Town Hall by a glass atrium.
The arts development had 56 objections over the council’s plan to demolish the existing Sean Hollywood Arts Centre at Bank Parade, an unlisted building, to make way for the new development.
However, there were no objectors present in the council chamber on Wednesday with the application gaining immediate proposal and approval in just 10 minutes.
Committee chairperson, Declan Murphy (Sinn Fein) said: “Obviously to some degree it is an end of an era with the Sean Hollywood Arts Centre going. But there are new beginnings and I think very exciting for Newry, for the Town Hall with a new theatre and conference centre, the employment that it will bring and it will be transformational for Newry.”
