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The controversial proposal by Newry, Mourne and Down District Council to build a Civic Hub behind Newry Cathedral is once again under fire, with legal procedures under way.
Planning application approval for the proposed Newry Civic Hub is currently the subject of a call for a Judicial Review following the submission of a Pre-Action Protocol letter from a Newry resident on 19 September. The planning application has been subject to delay after delay since it was presented at the council planning committee for approval in October 2024 before it was finally passed following a call-in on 20 August 2025.
Allegedly estimated to cost £7m in 2019 the figure for the new build rose to £17m in 2023 and costs could have risen significantly since then.
The planning application is for a 5,680m sq Proposed Civic Hub building accommodating council room, meeting rooms, council offices and associated ancillary accommodation. Public realm works to part of existing surface car park, part of Lower Water Street and along Mill Street. Demolition of the existing multi-storey car park and alterations to the existing road network. It would be situated on lands at Abbey Way Multi-Storey Car Park, Mill Street and Lower Water Street in the city.
The location for the council offices has been fiercely resisted by Newry Cathedral Parish and local businesses, with an unprecedented 2600 objections on the planning portal. Objections include the removal of car parking, the visual impact on the historic cathedral and a claimed lack of consultation.
Newry.ie understands the JR request cites six reasons for objecting to the application, an alleged breach of climate change legislation, an alleged breach of the Environmental Impact Assessment Directive, an alleged consultation failure, a claimed lack of transparency, alleged issues with a required Transport Assessment and an alleged failure to treat linked sites including proposed car parking at Cecil Street and Lower Water Street as part of the development.
Newry.ie understands the request also calls for release of information under the Freedom of Information Act including cost and decision making information.
Newry, Mourne and Down District Council have 21 days to respond to the correspondence. Construction work for the Civic Hub was expected to get underway in "the summer of 2025". The summer has come and gone and the JR call could lead to many months of legal procedures for the project.
