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 (Dec 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 recorde