Write a comment
This morning's granting of Planning permission for Newry City Park, clears the way for the much needed £18.6 million regeneration project at the city's Albert Basin, creating "a lasting legacy for our community" according to Newry City Councillor Doire Finn. The decision was made at today's Council Planning Committee on 2 September 2026.
The 15-acre waterside site will become a centrepiece of the Council's Newry City Centre Regeneration Project, offering space for play, sport, leisure and outdoor recreation. Waterside walks, natural play areas, urban sports areas and flexible event spaces will form part of the development, which will also link to the Carlingford Lough Greenway. The project is supported by £16.2 million in Complementary Funding through the Department for Communities, with the Council providing a further £2.4 million.
Newry, Mourne and Down District Council Chairperson, Councillor Glyn Hanna, said the Planning Committee decision turned the vision for Newry City Park into a deliverable project. "Our residents have been looking forward to an inclusive, welcoming space to meet, play, walk, exercise and enjoy the waterfront,". He added that the park would help showcase Newry, Mourne and Down and South Armagh as a place to live, visit, work and do business, and that he was looking forward to work beginning later this year, with the process to appoint a contractor already underway. Newry.ie has queried council if construction work is expected to start on the site later this year as stated by Cllr Hanna.
Communities Minister Gordon Lyons said his department had worked closely with the Council to support the project. "Newry City Park is a major development that will bring significant economic, health, and wellbeing benefits to residents and visitors alike,". Minister Lyons congratulated all those involved in reaching this stage.
Councillors Doire Finn and Declan Murphy, Co-Chairs of the Newry City Centre Regeneration Programme Board, also welcomed the approval. Cllr Finn said: “I want to thank everyone who helped Newry City Park reach Planning Committee approval, including our stakeholders and project partners. This once-in-a-generation investment will create a lasting legacy for our community. We’re excited to see work begin and watch this prime waterside space transform into a vibrant destination space for residents and visitors.”
Cllr Murphy added: “This is an important moment for all those who have envisaged a City Park for Newry. We are now seeing this ambitious vision become a reality and I look forward to the park beginning to take shape over the coming months. Thank you to everyone who has helped us reach this crucial milestone.”
Council say today that they expect Newry City Park to be completed in 2028.
