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Funding has been allocated by the Department for Infrastructure to Newry, Mourne and Down Council to carry out a feasibility study on a Newry City Greenway and a Newry Warrenpoint Greenway. £25K has been granted to each study. The funding will have to be spent by the end of March 2022.
It is thought that the Council's suggested route for the Newry City Greenway part would involve a substantial part of the route suggested in a 2020 Newry.ie Article on linking the Newry Canal Towpath with the Carlingford Lough Greenway linkcanaltowpathwithgreenway
Members of Newry 2020 and others walked the suggested route with members of the Department for Infrastructure and Sustrans in Summer 2020.
The route would involve a virtually traffic free route from the end of the Newry Canal Towpath linking to the existing path behind Newry Town Hall with the potential of a boardwalk facility over the canal through the area occupied by Newry Bus Station and then through what is presently Canal Quay Car Park.
A further larger sum of £205K has also been allocated to Newry, Mourne and Down Council for a Downpatrick Greenway design. This sum is split into £100K for 2021/2022 and £105K for 2022/2023.
It's part of capital grant funding of £2 million for councils to deliver greenway and active travel projects announced today by Infrastructure Minister Nichola Mallon.
Minister Mallon said: “In June 2021, I announced that I intended to make £2.5 million of capital funding available from my Blue Green Infrastructure Fund in support of the development of greenway schemes by Councils. I indicated then that I was ready to make further funding allocations available to Councils that were in a position to start construction in 2021/22 and some £0.6 million of the £2.5 million was held for that purpose.
“My Walking and Cycling Champion wrote to Councils seeking details of other greenway and active travel projects that could start to be delivered this year. I am delighted that we received many more applications for funding than the £0.6 million that I had originally set aside. Following consideration of the proposals, I am therefore announcing today that I am allocating extra capital grant funding of £2 million, on top of the £2.5 million that I announced in June. Of this, a range of greenway development projects will receive almost £1.6 million over the next two years, with a further £0.4 million of funding invested in Council active travel projects, such as cycle parking and repair stations which can be delivered in 2021/22.
“Since the pandemic started, many more people have been enjoying the great outdoors and it is my ambition to build on this momentum. I believe that greenways and similar community paths will ultimately create public spaces that will encourage active travel, enhance our quality of life and leave an enduring legacy to be enjoyed by future generations.”
The Minister continued: “I realise there is a lot of work to be done in such a short time, but I want to work with Councils and stakeholders to develop local active travel routes as part of my vision to enable greater sustainable transport options that connect communities, tackle the impact of climate change and improve our health and wellbeing.
“My Department will continue to work with Councils to assist in the successful delivery of their greenway and active travel projects this financial year and beyond.”
