£30m towards Mournes gondola could be lost as plans ‘start from scratch'
Tourism NI is a key stakeholder in the £44m Gateway Project, with Newry, Mourne and Down District Council (NMDDC) scrambling to hold onto £30m in Belfast Region City Deal (BRCD) money after the plan to site the gondola in Newcastle was scrapped.
The council revealed in May it is working to relocate the Mourne Mountain Gateway project on the other side of the Mournes in the village of Rostrevor.
The move came after landowners the National Trust withdrew co-operation from the Newcastle project.
The council is understood to be keen to retain the BRCD money by ensuring the project goes ahead, albeit in another location.
But concerns have now been raised that the planned relocation may not be straightforward.
A spokesperson for Tourism NI said: 'Tourism NI is not in receipt of an alternative proposal to the Mourne Mountain Gateway Project (MMGP) at this time.
'Newry Mourne and Down District Council is aware that any alternative proposal to the Mourne Mountain Gateway project will be considered a new project and will require a new outline business case (OBC) to be submitted as part of the City and Growth Deals process.'
Tourism NI's role is that of Investment Decision Maker (IDM) on behalf of the Department for the Economy (DfE) for tourism proposals within the City and Growth Deals Programme.
The council is relying on keeping £30m from the Belfast Region City Deal (BRCD) which was awarded to the Mourne Gateway project.
However, landowners the National Trust pulled out of the project in May over environmental concerns — leaving the local authority organising emergency meetings to present a new proposal to BRCD to retain the cash.
NMDDC was asked whether it had outlined a new business case to its stakeholders for the Rostrevor plan at Kilbroney park.
A spokesperson said: 'Newry, Mourne and Down District Council issued a statement on 28 May to the media in relation to this matter, we continue to work through the details with our partners and are not in position to provide any further comment at this time.'
However, it has now been alleged that the local authority had advised NMDDC councillors that the Kilbroney proposal could be partly transferred from the Mourne Gateway project.
Mournes Alliance councillor Jill Truesdale said: 'At every point in the progression of this project Alliance has been calling for more openness and transparency.
'That we're seeing such issues persist even at this point is not reassuring.'
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