Write a comment
A comprehensive report released today has identified regulatory hurdles and environmental considerations for the proposed Kilbroney Gondola.
The 22 page report was drawn up by Council Watch, a group set up on Facebook to allow ratepayers in the Newry Mourne & Down District Council area to monitor various projects and hold their council to account.
The groups investigations show that the Cloughmore Stone area holds dual designations as both a National Nature Reserve and Area of Special Scientific Interest. The ancient Rostrevor Oakwood, containing trees over 250 years old, carries Special Area of Conservation status. The entire project area falls within the Mourne Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
The group say that these environmental designations trigger mandatory Environmental Impact Assessment requirements and will need specific consents from the Northern Ireland Environment Agency for any "notifiable operations" in protected areas.
Northern Ireland planning regulations classify this project as "Major Development," requiring pre-application community consultation including public events and detailed consultation reports. Multiple government agencies must provide approvals including Forest Service Northern Ireland, the Department for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) and potentially the Department for Infrastructure too.
Local representatives have called for "meaningful consultation with the local community" and comprehensive environmental assessments. The legal framework mandates this community input as part of the planning process.
Crotlieve Councillor Mark Gibbons said: "The Council Watch report confirms what many of us have been saying - this project is being rushed without proper due diligence. The Newcastle cable car failed because they didn't secure landowner approval first. Now we're seeing the same pattern with Forest Service and multiple environmental agencies whose consent will be required. We owe it to our ratepayers to learn from the Newcastle mistakes rather than repeat them."
Council Watch spokesman Geoff Ingram stated "A critical point is that the previous proposal was blocked by the National Trust due to environmental impacts and a significant public backlash against the project. Does NMDDC believe that the backlash in Rostrevor will be any less, or that the serious environmental concerns have somehow disappeared?
"This week’s decision on the A5 and the implications of the Climate Change Act has raised the stakes even higher. The High Court judgement shows that environmental concerns cannot simply be 'wished away' by government departments, as has been the tradition in Northern Ireland. It is widely acknowledged that this decision will affect all infrastructure projects going forward."
Ingram added "The new report makes it clear that the risks around this project are extremely high. Unfortunately the way in which the proposal has been rushed through council gives little confidence that officers have given proper consideration to such risks, suggesting that even more public money will be wasted on an idea that is fundamentally ill-conceived and ultimately doomed to failure."
