Mournes gondola project: Major hurdle as National Trust confirms no lease will be given to build at planned site
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The National Trust has confirmed that no lease will be given to Newry, Mourne and Down District Council to build a gondola on Thomas Quarry.
The area was earmarked for the proposed site where a gondola was planned to be constructed.
The Mourne Gateway project is estimated to cost as much as £50m, with £30m of that coming from the Belfast City Regional Deal.
Newry, Mourne and Down District council has committed to contributing £14m plus any additional costs.
The proposed plans envisaged a visitor centre and 'gondola experience' in the Thomas Quarry area of the mountain range.
This plan, however, will no longer be going forward.
In a statement issued on Thursday, the National Trust, which owns the land on Thomas Quarry, said: 'With the known existing recreational and other pressures on the protected areas, as a conservation charity we cannot support a project of this scale that would be inviting substantial visitor numbers into fragile and threatened areas of the Mourne landscape and therefore we will not be considering a lease at Thomas Quarry.'
They added that they have informed council and the Department for the Economy of their position.
'We will continue to work with the council and others to consider alternative projects with significantly less risk and environmental impact.'
They reiterated that they had 'consistently expressed serious concerns' over the project and that they had never endorsed it.
This is, however, the first time the charity has made their stance clear on the project.
It is understood that Arup, the project's consultancy team, revealed new designs to elected representatives at a behind-closed-doors meeting on February 24.
The council agreed in October last year to appoint a specialist consultant to 'provide professional input into the project during the feasibility, design development, procurement and construction stage'. The cost of this position to ratepayers remains unknown.
Around 200 people attended a public meeting about the development last month.
It was organised by SOD (Save Our Donard) Off, which is also behind the upcoming parade in Newcastle.
The March to save Donard will set off from Down Road in the town at midday on Saturday, May 10.
Protesters will make their way down Main Street before dispersing at the entrance to Donard Park — the proposed gondola starting point — by 1pm.
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