logo
Call for investigation into money spent on failed Mourne Gateway Project

Call for investigation into money spent on failed Mourne Gateway Project

Yahoo10-05-2025
There has been a call for an investigation into the money spent by the council on the failed Mourne Mountain Gondola project.
Last week the controversial Mourne Gateway Project was put to an end after the National Trust announced that it would not allow for its land at Thomas's Quarry to be used for the Gondola and Visitor Station.
The Mourne Mountain project was supported by £30m through the Belfast Region City Deal with the rest from Newry, Mourne and Down District Council, including any other costs.
Read more: National Trust to 'answer questions' over decision to pull out of Mournes Gateway project
Read more: Mourne Gateway Project meeting sparks 'breach of conduct' complaint
Alliance Newry, Mourne and Down Councillors, Jill Truesdale and Tierna Howie have now called for an independent investigation by the Northern Ireland Audit Office into the money spent so far in progressing the project.
Cllr Truesdale said: 'Alliance has consistently expressed concerns about the viability of the Gondola project, particularly regarding financial expenditures and environmental impact. I have spoken at length before about the glaring lack of transparency and seeming disregard for how best to utilise ratepayers' money in the case of this project, especially when a great number of local residents expressed deep concerns and frustrations against it.
'Openness, transparency, and ensuring value for money should be at the heart of decision making at every level of government, and as a party, we are gravely concerned as to how much money has been spent to date on a project that didn't have the basic requirement of a lease in place to secure the site.
'I have written to the audit office to request an independent investigation into how much money has been spent to date.'
Cllr Howie added: 'It is essential that any such investigation is carried out by the NIAO to allow for an impartial overview. This project has been very contentious and unwanted by a huge majority of people, both residents and visitors to Newcastle and those who love the natural beauty of the Mournes.
'Alliance has been the only party to raise concerns consistently about the severe risk of progressing and spending money without a lease agreement. We therefore feel it is only right to look across all the details and for the public to know exactly what money has been spent and how this was allowed to continue.
'In the meantime, my Alliance colleagues and I will continue to explore viable and sustainable alternative proposals for the Mourne Mountain Gateway project and work to ensure that the £30million Belfast Region City Deal money remains in Newry, Mourne and Down.'
For all the latest news, visit the Belfast Live homepage here and sign up to our daily newsletter here.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Some mineral prospecting paused as licences are relinquished
Some mineral prospecting paused as licences are relinquished

Yahoo

time2 hours ago

  • Yahoo

Some mineral prospecting paused as licences are relinquished

Five of seven mineral prospecting licences (MPLs) granted in Northern Ireland earlier this year have been relinquished, meaning prospecting under those licences will be paused for at least three months. An MPL grants the holder permission to carry out activities like surveys and test drilling in a specific area. It covers minerals like copper and zinc, but not gold and silver as these belong to the Crown Estate. The seven licences were granted to four companies, including Dalradian Gold, in May. The four companies cover areas in at least three counties – Fermanagh, Tyrone and Armagh. The announcement from the Department for the Economy (DfE) comes as a deadline to lodge papers for any legal challenge is set to expire. A statement from the Department added that it had been instructed by Minister Caoimhe Archibald to write to the court to confirm it would not oppose the granting of leave for a judicial review if papers were lodged. And she has also instructed "to advise the objectors and the court that it will write in support of any application to quash the remaining two licences". The applications may be resubmitted, followed by a 12-week consultation period. While the seven licences were granted in May, a public notice of the intention to grant them was not published in the Belfast Gazette, as required by law. The Belfast Gazette is an official journal of record where statutory notices are published, as well as the King's honours lists. DfE previously said the notices were passed to the Gazette but were not published. The four companies – Dalradian Gold, Conroy Gold, Karelian Diamond Resources, and Flintridge Resources – were then asked to relinquish the licences, which they agreed to do. DfE is awaiting confirmation from the holder for the remaining two licences. The licences would allow holders to prospect for minerals, excluding gold and silver. It could lead to full-time mining operations at a later date. 'Back to square one' as gold mine inquiry is suspended

Woman wearing Palestine Action t-shirt arrested in Belfast
Woman wearing Palestine Action t-shirt arrested in Belfast

Yahoo

time12 hours ago

  • Yahoo

Woman wearing Palestine Action t-shirt arrested in Belfast

A woman wearing a Palestine Action t-shirt has been arrested at an anti-racism protest in Belfast city centre. It comes after the British Government in July made expressing support for or being a member of Palestine Action a criminal offence under terrorism legislation. In London, around 365 people were arrested for supporting the banned group after protesters gathered in Parliament Square on Saturday. In Belfast, videos shared online show a woman wearing a Palestine Action t-shirt being told by police officers she was being arrested on suspicion of 'possessing an article, namely a sign or t-shirt, that indicates support for Palestine Action'. Belfast MLA Gerry Carroll condemned police action against pro-Palestine activists. He called on Executive ministers to 'speak up for the right to protest' and dismiss any charges people may face. 'The whole world can see the mass starvation and daily executions carried out by Israel, yet the people being harassed in Belfast are those who stand up for Palestine,' Mr Carroll said. 'On the same day we saw far-right protesters with offensive and provocative signage, including pro-Israel items, the police took it upon themselves to arrest activists for having the temerity to wear items of clothing in solidarity action. 'The British Government implemented a regressive clampdown with their vote to proscribe Palestine Action, without a single vote being cast in the local Assembly.' Sinn Fein MLA for West Belfast Pat Sheehan said the British Government and PSNI's actions were 'disgraceful'. 'While Keir Starmer continues to enable the ongoing Israeli genocide and starvation of Gazans, he is also moving to silence ordinary, decent people for speaking out,' he said. 'Just yesterday, (Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin) Netanyahu announced his intention to seize Gaza City. 'Yet still, Starmer provides cover for this rogue regime, instead targeting activists for highlighting what should be a universal moral outrage. 'Like all previous censorship attempts by the British Government, which is totally out of step with the wider public, this too will fail. 'Highlighting the ongoing devastation in Gaza is not a crime. The real crime is Israel's policy of ethnic cleansing and genocide, aided and abetted by the US and Britain.' The PSNI has been contacted for comment.

River Island: Locations of 33 shops set for closure
River Island: Locations of 33 shops set for closure

Yahoo

time2 days ago

  • Yahoo

River Island: Locations of 33 shops set for closure

River Island is set to push ahead with plans to shut 33 shops after receiving court approval for a major restructuring. A high court judge approved the high street fashion chain's restructuring plan on Friday, amid fears that the company could collapse into administration without the overhaul. It will also secure reduced rents on 71 other stores as part of the plan. Lawyers for River Island told the court that the company 'simply has not been able to reverse' a trend of financial difficulty. Here is the list of locations where the group will now shut shops: -Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire-Bangor Bloomfield, Northern Ireland-Barnstaple, Devon-Beckton, Greater London-Brighton, East Sussex-Burton-Upon-Trent, Derbyshire-Cumbernauld, Scotland-Didcot, Oxfordshire-Edinburgh Princes Street, Scotland-Falkirk, Scotland-Gloucester, Gloucestershire-Great Yarmouth-Grimsby, Lincolnshire-Hanley, Staffordshire-Hartlepool, County Durham-Hereford, Herefordshire-Kilmarnock, Scotland-Kirkcaldy, Scotland-Leeds Birstall Park, West Yorkshire-Lisburn, Northern Ireland-Northwich, Cheshire-Norwich, Norfolk-Oxford, Oxfordshire-Perth, Scotland-Poole, Dorset-Rochdale, Greater Manchester-St Helens, Merseyside-Stockton On Tees, County Durham-Surrey Quays, Greater London-Sutton Coldfield, Warwickshire-Taunton, Somerset-Workington, Cumbria-Wrexham, Wales

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store