Council told to get on the buses to ferry staff and public to civic hub

Along with the plans for the hub, NMDDC is seeking to create staff parking at Cecil Street close to Newry Leisure Centre, almost 1km away.

Forty-nine new spaces will be created at the site, which was formerly the Kearns and Murtagh garage.

According to a planning application for the car park, "all spaces will be free of charge and access will be controlled through a barrier system accessible via a fob”.

A letter uploaded to the Planning Portal by a DfI Roads Senior Officer, responding to a transport assessment, travel plan and site layout document, said that whilst DfI Roads “has no objection in principle to the revised application, the submitted documents do not provide sufficient detail to demonstrate how the use of public transport will be used to adequately facilitate the transfer of both public and staff from the new Civic Hub to car parking at Cecil Street Leisure Centre which is being put forward as parking opportunity”.

It added that it “would be the Department’s recommendation that the proposed shuttle bus should include the transfer of both staff and public on a regular basis (i.e every 20 mins [sic]) between the hours of 08.00 to 18.00.

“Provision of public transport is one of the best, most cost-effective solutions available to address today’s climate and development challenges and will go towards improvements in air quality and reduced congestion in and around the proposed civic hub and surrounding area.”

It added that, on this basis, should Council Planning be minded to approve the application the Department would require six conditions to be included, including that “the shuttle bus service to and from the new Civic Hub to car parking at Cecil Street Leisure Centre to operate between 0800 to 18.00 during hours of operation on a regular basis (every 20min) to include transfer of both staff and members of the public”.

This is “to ensure that adequate provision has been made for parking and traffic circulation”.

It would also require the “staff car park… to become operational prior to occupation” to ensure that adequate provision has been made for parking and traffic circulation; and in a separate condition it calls on “Planning to add a condition to ensure active travel/travel measures outlined in the travel plan are fulfilled prior to occupation”.

Newry, Mourne and Down District Council was asked for comment on how such a service would be funded but had not responded at the time of going to press.