Write a commentThe Mayor of Newry and Mourne District Council, Councillor Colman Burns has announced the council plans in relation to the Albert Basin Development.
The Mayor confirmed that, following a detailed dialogue process with a short-listed Developer, the Council has now considered the outcome of this stage.
Mayor Burns said that, following the completion of the Pre Qualification (PQQ) Process, the Council had held in-depth discussions with a short-listed Developer during this Dialogue Stage, when all the issues as outlined in the Councils Development Brief were raised and discussed.
However, given the current recession and its impact on investment & regeneration schemes the Council and short-listed Developer jointly concluded that it is not currently possible to progress the development of the Albert Basin as had been originally anticipated at the outset of the Tender Process.
Despite not achieving an agreeable way forward with the developer, the Council are aware that there are numerous other regeneration schemes throughout Britain & Ireland that have had to be put on hold or indeed abandoned. Indeed many of these initiatives have been much further down the road in terms of the Client/Developer relationships & contracts, than had been the case with the Albert Basin site.
He added, that: “Having concluded this Tender Process, the Council considered options with its appointed advisors, before agreeing to now investigate the possibility of putting the lands up for sale. In seeking to dispose of the lands the Council would ensure that the Key Site Requirements as detailed in the Draft Area Plan would still remain, in order that any future development would be suitable and acceptable for one of Newry City’s most Strategic Sites.’
