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In a final response to the Newry, Mourne and Down District Council planning application for a Civic Hub/ Council offices at Abbey Way in Newry, the Department for Infrastructure Roads division have expressed concern over the operation of transportation from councils proposed 49 space free car park at Cecil Street in the city for use by NMDDC Civic Hub staff. The proposed Cecil Street facility is 0.6 miles from the Civic Hub site, a 13 minute walk.
In their response the Government department said "Whilst Dfi Roads has no objection in principle to the revised application, the submitted documents do not provide sufficient detail to demonstrate how the use of public transport will be used to adequately facilitate the transfer of both public and staff from the new Civic hub to car parking at Cecil Street Leisure Centre which is being put forward as parking opportunity."
Council have applied for planning permission to build a car park for staff at Cecil Street following parking provision challenges with their Civic Hub planning application. Several conditions have been imposed by DfI Roads on the Civic Hub project, as is normal in planning, including that a shuttle bus should operate at 20 minute intervals throughout the day from Cecil Street to the facility for both staff and members of the public.
The condition states "The shuttle bus service to and from the new Civic hub to car parking at Cecil Street Leisure Centre to operate between 0800 to 18.00 during hours of operation on a regular basis (every 20min) to include transfer of both staff and members of the public."
The Civic Hub building is proposed to accommodate council room, meeting rooms, council offices and associated ancillary accommodation. Associated public realm works are also proposed for part of existing surface car park.
In a line that suggests that the planning application is progressing at a pace the response includes the line "DFI Roads offer no objection on the basis the above conditions are included"
