LETTER: Ratepayers 'want councillors to vote in accordance with the will of the people​'

Dear Sirs,

This evening, (Wednesday, December 18, 2024), our Councillors, advised by Newry, Mourne and Down Council Officers, are likely to grant planning permission for the construction of a £25m + Civic Centre / Council Offices directly behind Newry Cathedral.

This is likely to happen, despite strong objections from most of the city centre businesses, faith communities, community groups as well as thousands of residents across the district who have written to the Council to voice their strong opposition to this project.

Yet despite this widespread public opposition, Councillors and Council Management have not only ignored all the objections made to date but also the technical opinions and views of planning experts, traffic engineers and architectural heritage consultants who have also highlighted the inadequacies and deficiencies of these proposals.

The Council has promoted this project on the basis that this project is a key part of the regeneration of Newry City, however, it is clear from a close examination of the detailed proposals and the initial advice provided by the Council’s own retained consultants, that the Civic Centre proposals will do little to regenerate Newry and recently obtained reports from a number of industry recognised experts also demonstrate that the proposed Civic Centre will in fact have a negative impact on the City Centre for the following reasons:-

- The Civic Centre proposals do not address any of the underlying issues affecting Newry City

- The proposed Civic Centre does not involve the redevelopment and refurbishment of any of the vacant and derelict properties which blight Newry City and are an essential to any successful regeneration strategy.

- The removal of circa 300 car parking spaces will have a negative impact on the Newry City Centre, its residents and its businesses.

- Newry Cathedral, Newry’s finest Grade A listed building will be substantially obscured when the development is complete.

- The Civic Centre / Council offices do not represent value for money for the Newry ratepayer.

- Borrowing upwards of £50m to fund both the Arts Centre redevelopment and the Civic Centre will result in unacceptable increases to future rates bills adding to an already high rates burden in the district

- The carbon emissions resulting from demolishing a carpark and constructing a brand new building will be far greater than retrofitting / upgrading an existing building

When the councillors from the various political parties were seeking election, they erected their posters and walked the streets knocking the doors in their constituencies offering a social contract with the voter on the basis that they as politicians would represent local peoples interests specifically the provision of high quality public services and continued investment in their local communities.

Any councillors who vote to approve the proposed Civic Centre / Council Offices on Wednesday evening will have breached this public trust as the opportunity cost of a £25m + investment in a single building are the many less expensive and more impactful projects that could have been delivered across our district instead and which would have had public support, now can’t be delivered due to the huge capital cost of this project.

Most people I speak to are supportive of the Council securing new offices to meet its operational needs, but we all agree, these proposals must be affordable, impactful, value for money and focused on bringing long term derelict and vacant buildings back into use and above all, the proposals must have the support of residents, local businesses and community groups.

Simply put, the current Civic Centre proposals are not fit for purpose and this letter is a clarion call to our residents to remind their elected representatives, that many Newry Mourne and Down residents do not support the proposed Civic Centre / Council Offices and would prefer to see investment in cheaper offices and projects that will actually improve the lives of local people such as children’s play areas, leisure facilities, playing fields, public toilets, urban greenways, canal restoration etc. and not oversized expensive offices which most residents will never set foot in.

At the end of the day, it is the Newry, Mourne and Down ratepayer who will be picking up the bill for the new Civic Centre / Council Offices and not only do we deserve a say as to how our money will be spent but our Councillors to vote in accordance with the will of the people.

That is how democracy is supposed to work.