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A trail of emails between Newry, Mourne and Down District Council and Warrenpoint Harbour Authority show a continuing dispute over a £350k bill to repair a popular pier in the seaside village.
The Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) understands that gates could be put up in a matter of days to close off the Warrenpoint pier, which has been open to the public for almost 50 years.
A Freedom of Information (FoI) response shows Newry Mourne and Down District Council (NMDDC) and Warrenpoint Harbour Authority (WHA) “fundamentally differ” over who is responsible for maintenance of a steel wall around the pier.
In the most up-to-date email (Feb 2026), WHA says it is “surprised and disappointed to have learned the council is considering not to renew the licence of the Warrenpoint breakwater and to permanently remove the access pontoon.
“This decision will render the council’s marina area in Warrenpoint inaccessible for both small local pleasure craft users and visiting craft users, after 46 years of availability.
“We have made it clear to council executives over a number of years that, subject to a normal satisfactory process of end-of-licence-term dilapidations schedule, WHA will renew the licence indefinitely.
“We would also like to confirm that Warrenpoint Harbour Authority has never requested any rent since the council’s initial leasing of the breakwater in 1980.”
The pier on the shores of Carlingford Lough presents a unique mooring point as the first sea access point to Northern Ireland from the south with nearby Warrenpoint the second largest port in Northern Ireland.
In January the council’s economy, regeneration and tourism committee approved the removal of a mooring pontoon behind closed doors at a confidential meeting.
The access point had been in place for the last 50 years and according to a council report will cost £10k to remove.
Legal advice and estimated costs for repairs have been heavily redacted in the email correspondence, but a council report seen by the LDRS shows the local authority’s six figure estimate of £350k.
A licence between the two bodies is set to expire 31 March, but WHA has told the council it will be responsible for the cost even if it does not renew the licence.
An email (August 2025) from WHA to NMDDC states:”In the matter of outstanding repairs to the breakwater, both below and above the water.
“In accordance with the covenant in the licence, these will have to be made good by council, regardless of its future intentions and we would welcome your proposals in this regard.”
An email (Sept 2025) from NMDDC director of economy, regeneration and tourism to WHA responds: ”With respect to your query on repairs, council position, as advised previously remains unchanged, we have no responsibility for the repair to the sheet pile wall.”
The FoI also shows that a number of arranged meetings between the two authorities have been cancelled “at short notice” with the the council doubling down on its position.
An email (Jan 2026) thread shows WHA saying: ”Happy too to meet to understand why council would consider shutting down the breakwater for the people of Warrenpoint.”
A responding email from the council to WHA has redacted the sender’s details, but reads: “I have to remind you that we appear to fundamentally differ on our position on repair liability, but likewise that doesn’t need to stop a meeting.”
Corrosion and holes within a steel wall around the pier requires significant repairs with the pier acting as a defence wall to the rest of the harbour.
It is understood that the pier could be closed off with locked gates if no agreement on renewal of the licence is made, this is due to WHA concerns over public insurance on the infrastructure.
