Public Engagement Scheduled for Proposed £44m Slieve Donard Gondola Amid Opposition

Newry, Mourne, and Down Council has announced that additional public consultation events concerning a proposed £44 million gondola project on Slieve Donard’s slopes are scheduled for early 2025. This past Monday, a petition bearing approximately 6,000 signatures, which objects to the Newcastle initiative slated to receive £30 million in funding from the Belfast Region City Deal, was submitted to the Stormont Assembly. Proponents of the petition have voiced environmental and economic apprehensions regarding the feasibility of the plan, which aims to draw around 350,000 visitors annually. Conversely, business owners who support the undertaking contend that it has the potential to foster a year-round tourism economy for the area. Should the project proceed, it would entail the construction of a one-kilometer cable car system extending from Donard Park to Thomas Quarry, situated approximately 230 meters up Slieve Donard, which is Northern Ireland’s tallest mountain. A new visitor center is planned for development within the quarry itself. Andy Carden, a local resident, opposes the proposal and initiated a petition against it in June. He asserts that the environment would suffer damage without providing any discernible economic advantage. He stated, “The ascent for walkers would be marred seriously by mechanical cableways going overhead.” “So instead of the waterfalls and old trees along the Glen River, you would have the noise and disruption of cable cars passing overhead and the damage to the forest in constructing it,” he added. He further commented, “Also, they’ve chosen a really difficult place to get water up there, to get power up there, to deal with the sewage. I believe the cost will spiral in the years of planning and constructing it.” “But the £30m from the Belfast City Deal doesn’t spiral—what spirals is the contribution that the council and ratepayers will have to make, as it becomes a council problem if it doesn’t cover its costs—and we are certain it won’t,” Carden concluded. Terry Hutley, who operates several hospitality establishments in Newcastle, indicated that the local business community supports the project. He explained, “For three months of the year the town is packed – but for the other nine months of the year it’s a real fight in town to get customers through the door.” “So I think it would be major for Newcastle. The north coast has the Giant’s Causeway, Belfast has many things, like the Titanic museum,” Hutley continued. He added, “The gondola would encourage many people to turn left when they come off the ferry in Belfast and really help put Newcastle on an international map, not just a local map.” Hutley, who is also a part-time firefighter and has previously combated blazes in the Mournes, expressed his hope that any environmental worries can be alleviated in the near future. He remarked, “I grew up in Newcastle and climbed those mountains countless times – they are treasured.” “I feel like the environmental reports, which will hopefully come out soon, can clear up any doubts and concerns around the gondola being built,” he concluded. The petition opposing the project was formally presented to the Assembly on Monday by Andy McMurray, the Alliance Party representative for South Down. During the presentation, he urged the Minister for Economy to reconsider the project, citing “a lack of public consultation, the disregard of other more sustainable uses for funding, the financial risk involved, and lack of economic viability or the threat to the local environment.” BBC News NI reached out to local representatives from Sinn Féin, the Social Democratic and Labour Party, and the Democratic Unionist Party for their perspectives on the initiative, but no one was accessible for an interview. In an official statement, a spokesperson for Newry, Mourne and Down District Council affirmed that it is “gathering views to inform the concept design which the Integrated Consultancy Team is currently developing.” The spokesperson further stated, “We will be carefully considering the unique setting of the Mournes and conducting an extensive environmental impact assessment and habitats regulations assessment as part of the planning process.” “As the surveys continue and the design and visitor management plan develops, further events will be held to present the emerging details and seek further feedback,” the council representative continued. They concluded, “The full business case, once completed, will also help us understand more detail on the economic impact of this project.” The scheduled public engagement events are anticipated to commence early in the New Year and extend throughout spring and summer 2025. Project proponents anticipate the gondola will be operational by 2029.