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Following last week's special Planning meeting of Newry, Mourne and Down District Council this week, representatives of the Alliance party have again highlighted their continued concerns regarding the proposed Civic Hub in Newry.
Expressing her concern Slieve Croob Councillor Helena Young said: ‘’Whilst we are fully supportive of the provision of high-quality office space for our council employees we are opposed to the current plan for the Civic Centre, it is in the wrong location, it is too big, and the cost is spiralling upwards.
"There is also the prospect of a new car park being built in Cecil Street and a public bus running every 20 minutes to ferry employees back and forth to the Civic Centre."
Cllr Young added: "We have engaged with and listened to the local businesses and the community at every stage of the way over the past number of years.
"I attended a meeting last year which included over ninety city centre businesses and not one of those businesses supported this project. They were very concerned about the loss of car parking and the potential increase in the rates that may be incurred. Alliance have been relentless in asking questions and bringing forward any concerns raised and ensuring scrutiny throughout the process. By doing so we have been accused of delaying progress. As councillors our job is to represent the constituents who placed us into positions of responsibility, to scrutinise and to be held to account.’’
Downpatrick Councillor Cadogan Enright who sits on the planning committee said ‘’I have publicly spoken on the fact that for approximately one tenth of the cost of this project we could get perfectly good offices at the Quays with excellent parking and convenient to the public.
I have pointed out Treasury Guidelines prohibiting Councils from speculative office development. I have pointed out that all over Ireland office building has dramatically slowed, rents are down, offices are being converted to flats and vast acres of office space lays unoccupied across Ireland from Dublin to Newry to Belfast.’’
Cllr Young concluded that ‘’As a council group we have been ably supported by a vast range of concerned citizens, and we will continue ask questions and to ensure the ratepayers are represented. ‘’
