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It's been almost a month since Newry, Mourne and Down District Council granted planning permission for the proposed Newry City Park in a blaze of publicity from council and local political representatives but despite council stating that "Work is expected to get underway at the site later this year" and the Department for Infrastructure Minister Liz Kimmins saying "hopefully we will see construction starting very soon" there is no immediate grounds for optimism as the DfI have to decide if the application needs to be referred to it, and to-date it hasn't!
Council Planning Committee approved the park planning application 2 September and at that meeting It was pointed out that the decision would need to be endorsed by the Department for Infrastructure, due to the Banbridge Newry Area Plan 2015 zoning the Albert Basin for housing. Council have explained that the park planning application details the justification for changing the use to a public park.
Newry.ie asked the DfI for comment and they have said they will make their decision "in due course"
A Departmental spokesperson said: “The council notified the Department on 10 September 2026 regarding the Newry City Park planning application. The Department is currently assessing the notification and will, in due course, decide whether the application should be referred to it for determination.”
Considering that the Albert Basin area was given to the people of Newry in 1986 to be developed as a recreation and amenity area for future generations and the building of a 15 acre city park on the site approved unanimously by Council in November 2017 it certainly appears it's not the priority that our political representatives claim it is.
