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A motion is being put forward at next Monday's August full council meeting, requesting Newry, Mourne and Down District Council to put a funding bid into the Peace Plus programme for the remaining costs needed to complete the Newry City Park.
Put forward by Rowallane Councillor David Lee-Surginor the application would cover the 'shortfall' in funding needed to complete the long awaited park at the Albert Basin in Newry. £16.2m of funding has been granted by the Department of Finance in December 2021 but this is still waiting to be signed off by the Department for Communities following the submission of an Outline Business Case from Newry, Mourne and Down District Council. It's claimed that the park will cost in excess of £30m and hence presently Council are only progressing with 'Phase One' of the project. Council in November 2022 at their SP&R meeting agreed to underwrite any additional money needed to complete the first phase.
Cllr Lee Surginor's party colleague Patrick Brown MLA Several attempts were put forward by Councillors in the past requesting Council apply to certain funding streams for funding but no applications were made.
The Notice of Motion entitled Newry City Park Funding Application says "Noting the Council has failed to deliver on previously agreed motions to submit funding bids for the Newry City Park to the Levelling up and Shared Island Fund, council will now urgently prepare a capital funding bid to the Peace plus programme for the remainder of funding required to complete all phases of the project and deliver the world class park that was promised to ratepayers; and for full Council to approve this motion as deadline for this application is Tuesday 5th September 2023 at 5pm."
