Latest news with #DianeForsythe
ITV News
01-05-2025
- Business
- ITV News
National Trust halt Mourne Mountains gondola and visitor centre project
Plans for a cable car through the Mourne Mountains have been dealt a blow after the National Trust said it wouldn't lease out the land needed for the controversial project. The charity has said the gateway scheme would put more pressure on habitats damaged in recent years, especially those impacted by wildfires. However, the local council has said the project would be a 'once-in-a-generation opportunity' for the area. The National Trust is responsible for parts of the Eastern Mournes Special Area of Conservation. The area includes Thomas's Quarry on Slieve Donard which is the proposed site for the £44m gondola station and visitor centre. The trust previously expressed their concerns about the potential environmental impact of the project. In a statement the National Trust said the plans 'would risk placing additional pressures on already degraded upland habitats.' The charity added that they cannot support a project of such scale that would invite 'substantial visitor numbers into fragile and threatened areas' therefore they would 'not be considering a lease at Thomas's Quarry.' In a statement, Newry, Mourne and Down District Council said they are 'disappointed' by the decision not to grant the lease. 'This decision is particularly frustrating as a comprehensive environmental impact assessment is already underway, to address the specific concerns raised by the trust.' They added that the project was a 'huge economic loss' for the area and had 'tremendous potential' to create employment and attract up to 365,000 visitors per year by 2029. South Down DUP MLA Diane Forsythe has described the halt as 'deeply concerning'. Ms Forsythe said it 'could mean the loss of £30m government funding' from the Belfast Region City Deal which would be 'a significant setback' for the local economy.' She added, 'we cannot afford to let this opportunity slip away.' However, Alliance South Down MLA Andrew McMurray has described the move as 'incredibly welcome' due to 'environmental issues associated with the project…as well as concerns around economic viability.' Mr McMurray termed the project as 'deeply controversial' and 'extremely unpopular' with many local residents.
Yahoo
01-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
National Trust blocks cable car plan for NI's highest mountain
The National Trust has said it will not lease land it manages in the Mourne Mountains for the development of a cable car up Slieve Donard, Northern Ireland's highest mountain. The proposed £44m project would have involved the development of a 1km cable car structure from Donard Park up to a disused quarry. The National Trust has said the project should not go ahead in light of the "fragile and threatened" state of the Mourne landscape. However a Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) assembly member for the area has warned the decision could jeopardise £30m of government city deal money earmarked for the project. Diane Forsythe said the scheme, funded from the Belfast Region City Deal, was "designed to support sustainable tourism and enhanced accessibility to the Mournes". She said that the loss of funds "would be a significant setback for our local economy and for the long-term vision of developing the Mournes as a world-class destination accessible to all". "We cannot afford to let this opportunity slip away," Forsythe added. However, Alliance assembly member Andrew McMurray welcomed the move, given the "hugely significant environmental issues associated with the project, especially in light of the damage done by recent fires, as well as the serious concerns around economic viability". In a statement, the National Trust said its responsibility is to "restore nature in the Mournes, whilst balancing safe and sustainable access for people". Last month, there were almost 150 wildfires causing a devastating impact on habitats in the mountain range. The National Trust is responsible for the land in the Eastern Mournes Special Area of Conservation including Slieve Donard and Thomas Quarry - the site earmarked for the proposed gondola station and visitor centre. In a statement on Thursday, the trust confirmed the proposed project would "risk placing additional pressures on already degraded upland habitats". It would therefore "not be considering a lease at Thomas Quarry". The trust said it has engaged with Newry, Mourne and Down District Council on the project proposals but have "consistently expressed our serious concerns" as far back as eight years ago and "encouraged other options to be considered". "We have never endorsed the project and have not been a partner in its development," it added. The trust said its concerns about the upland habitats not being in a "favourable condition" are shared by local people. Last year, a petition of about 6,000 signatures opposing the project was presented to the Northern Ireland Assembly. Those behind the petition said they have environmental and economic concerns about the viability of the scheme that hopes to attract about 350,000 annual visitors. There was also a number businesspeople who supported the project as they believed it would help create a year-round tourist economy for the region. Firefighters tackle weekend of wildfires
BBC News
28-02-2025
- Health
- BBC News
National Insurance Contributions: GPs to face potential closure, says body
The hike in national insurance contributions (NICs) set for April will see some Northern Ireland GP practices going under if the government does not provide a bail-out, according to a senior Royal College of GPs in Northern Ireland (RCGP) told Stormont's Public Accounts Committee the move could be "catastrophic".Employers currently pay a rate of 13.8% on employees' earnings above a threshold of £9,100 a the Budget, Chancellor Rachel Reeves said this rate would increase to 15% in April 2025, and the threshold would be reduced to £5,000. The DUP MLA, Diane Forsythe, said she had received information back from the Department of Health that the cost of NICs to doctors, dentists and pharmacists in Northern Ireland could be about £35m. Dr Ursula Mason from the RCGP told the committee: "There will be contract handbacks without a doubt because practices are already financially very precarious."Practices can't go over budget - we can't do that. There's nobody coming to bail out an independent contractor practice. "The bail-out is that the contract goes back. You either suffer the financial risk and consequences of that, or that contract gets taken on by someone else."The national insurance contributions could be catastrophic if not met... it has the potential to destroy a lot of practices financially." She said when a doctor heard about a practice being forced to hand their contract back to the Department of Health, they were "holding their head in their hands" wondering if they would be Frances O'Hagan from the British Medical Association told the committee that many GP practices were "teetering on the edge" and faced closure if there was not a boost to said there was a fear GPs would become "an endangered species" if greater budgetary provision was not allocated to primary care.
