Council Agree to Approve Full Business Case for Proposed Newry Civic Hub

Tonight's April Strategy, Policy and Regeneration Council meeting wasn't one for listening in to as just one of the eight agenda items were held in public. The most contentious by far was Agenda item number 5 entitled 'NCCR Full Business Case'.

Three documents were listed, all "deemed to be exempt under paragraph 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 6 of the Local Government Act.....etc". The three documents which weren't seen by the public were: SPR Report NCCR Full Business Case.pdf; Appendix 1 Full Business Case.pdf and Appendix 2 Minutes of Newry City Centre Regeneration Programme Board Mtg - 28.03.2025.pdf

For anyone who doesn't do abbreviations, the agenda item was to get Councillors to make a decision on the Newry City Centre Regeneration Full Business Case, basically to approve or disapprove the Business Case that includes the proposed Civic Hub/ Council Offices at Abbey Way in Newry, and endorse the sending of it to the Department for Communities. The Civic Hub and new Theatre proposals are expected to cost in the region of £40m.

Tonights decision was passed 7 for and 4 against with 3 Councilors absent.

For the proposal:

Councillors Pete Byrne SDLP; Oonagh Hanlon, Sinn Fein; Martin Hearty, Sinn Fein; Aidan Mathers, Sinn Fein; Aine  Quinn, Sinn Fein; Michael Rice, Sinn Fein; and Gareth Sharvin, SDLP.

Against the proposal

Councillors Callum Bosie, DUP; Tierna Howie, Alliance; Henry Reilly, DUP and David Taylor, UUP.

Absent

Councillors Cadogan Enright, Alliance; Declan McAteer, SDLP and Siobhan O'Hare, Sinn Féin.

Following Councillors coming out of 'committee' SP&R Chair Cllr Tierna Howie said in relation to what was discussed on Item five the NCCR Full Business Case

"On the proposal of Councillor Matters, seconded by Councillor Byrne. The following was agreed:

• To note the minutes of the NCCR Programme Board meeting of the 28th of March 2025.
• To approve the FBC as set out in Appendix 1, for formal submission to the Department for Communities with any significant amendments brought back to the Strategy, Policy and Resources Committee.
• That members approve Council's updated allocation in the capital plan, as set out in section 4 of the officers report.
• That members acknowledge the level of risk that remains within the project and the allowance included in the FBC.

It has been a long and winding road to get to this point with resistance from many directions, but following tonight, all that is left for this stage of the Council NCCR proposals is for the May full Council meeting to ratify this decision.