3 Comments
The Department for Infrastructure has refused a Freedom of Information request by Newry.ie for a copy of the findings report from the DfI Newry Southern Relief Road Public Consultation. Almost a year after the Consultation closed on 4 March 2025, the findings haven't been made public regarding the controversial project.
The refusal was made on several grounds:
- the material is currently internal communication which still requires internal review and discussion.
- material in course of completion, unfinished documents or incomplete data as these discussions may update the detail of the report, prior to publication.
The refusal also cited the Climate Change Act A5 decision.
The proposed Southern Relief Road project is planned to link the Warrenpoint dual carriageway to the A1/ M1 with the specific aim of facilitating lorries from Warrenpoint Port to travel quicker to/from Belfast and Dublin. £93.4m has been granted to the project by Belfast Region City Deal but Infrastructure Minister Liz Kimmins said in September 2025 that they were still £22m short of what they needed. £8.1m has already been spent on the project to date (as of June 2025).
Vesting Order has been made for in connection to the Southern Relief Road.
Photograph: Columba O'Hare/ Newry.ie
The proposed route would take it over the Clanrye River and Newry Ship Canal and over the Fathom/ Flagstaff area of outstanding natural beauty. A proposed 12m fixed bridge over the canal as part of the scheme has been met with fierce resistance, spelling as it would the end of 300 years plus of Newry maritime history. Currently tall ships and high masted vessels travel right in to the centre of Newry and moor at the Albert Basin, something that will come to an abrupt end if a fixed bridge is built.
The project has been met with fierce resistance principally from the public and organisations that use the canal, as well as residents of Fathom and the Flagstaff.
In reply to a question in September 2025 from Newry and Armagh MLA Justin McNulty, Infrastructure Minister Liz Kimmins, a native of Newry revealed some details of the consultation, principally that out of 214 responses only 15 actually supported the scheme. There were 154 were objections of which around 85 objected because of the proposed inclusion of the fixed bridge!
Minister Kimmins full reply in September was "A total of 214 responses to the consultation were received, which shows the depth of feeling in the area and that people want to be a part of the process. That consultation was held between 21 January and 4 March 2025. Of those representations, 154 were objections, 55% of which cited the inclusion of the fixed bridge as the reason for their objection. There were 15 responses supporting the proposed scheme, 24 general comments and 21 responses that were not applicable to the scheme."
Full text of FOI Reply:
Following consideration of public interest in this case, I have determined that the requested information is not suitable for release at this time and has been withheld for the following reasons, under the exception provided by Reg. 12(4): (e): in that the material is currently internal communication which still requires internal review and discussion and under the exception provided by Reg. 12(4); (d): material in course of completion, unfinished documents or incomplete data as these discussions may update the detail of the report, prior to publication.
As mentioned in your request, a public consultation exercise for Newry Southern Relief Road was concluded on 4 March 2025, and officials have been working through the detailed representations received as part of this process.
Whilst considering these representations, the A5 judgement was delivered on 23 June 2025 and as the first legal test of the Climate Change Act and Action Plan, its impact on other major infrastructure projects will also need to be considered.
As the judgement was extremely detailed and complex, the Department required time to consider the broader implications for all major infrastructure projects including the Newry Southern Relief Road.
An appeal on the A5 judgment was heard in part on 9 and 10 December. The Appeal Court referred the matter of the Climate Change Act back to the High Court where the case is scheduled to conclude at the end of February.
It would therefore not be prudent to comment on representations or timescales in relation to the project at this time.
I am satisfied that the public interest is best served by withholding this information at this time.
