Historical Information
Wednesday 1 April 2015 represented a landmark day for every single person living in our district when Newry & Mourne District Council and Down District Council merged to form the new Council known as Newry, Mourne and Down District Council.
Newry, Mourne and Down District Council assumed its full powers and statutory responsibilities on the 1 April 2015.
With a population of around 171,500 and a coastline of approximately 100 miles, we are the third largest Council area in Northern Ireland. Although primarily made up of the former Newry & Mourne and Down District Council areas, the new Council also includes the electoral ward of Ballyward which has transferred from the former Banbridge District Council area.
It is responsible for providing services that citizens previously received from the former Councils, such as Household Waste Collection, Registration, Leisure, Environmental Health, Building Control, Economic Development and Tourism. However we are also responsible for delivering a range of new services, as well as powers, including Planning and Community Planning.
Located in the south east of Northern Ireland, and covering parts of Counties Down and Armagh, our new District is easily accessible from both Belfast and Dublin. Renowned for its scenic beauty, we are bounded on the east by Strangford Lough and Carlingford Lough, and on the west by Slieve Gullion and Slieve Croob, with the picturesque Mountains of Mourne at our centre.
To complement our outstanding natural assets, we are also home to a number of significant built heritage assets including Struell Wells in Downpatrick, Dundrum Castle and Bagenal’s Castle in Newry City.
Population
As the third largest Council, we make up approximately 11% of the total land area of Northern Ireland, more than 100 miles of coastline, and provide services to 171,533 residents (2011 Census). This represents 9.5% of the total population of Northern Ireland. 28.5% of our population is aged 19 or younger, 58.1% are 20-64 and 13.4% are over 65.
Urban & Rural
In addition to Newry City, our principal settlements are Downpatrick, Ballynahinch, Kilkeel, Newcastle, Warrenpoint and Crossmaglen.
Connectivity
Our District enjoys excellent road and rail links with Dublin as well as Belfast and contains a number of ports and harbours, providing direct access by water.
Health & Well-Being
There are two major hospitals, Daisy Hill in Newry City and the Downe in Downpatrick.
Education
Our District has excellent primary, secondary and tertiary educational establishments and can claim some of the best results in Northern Ireland. Our District is also home to two major education campuses in the South Eastern and the Southern Regional Colleges.
Tourism
Our tourism potential is enormous with three areas of outstanding natural beauty in Strangford & Lecale, Slieve Gullion, and the Mournes, numerous Blue Flag beaches, and an unrivalled link to St Patrick.
Enterprise & Employment
Our District is an attractive location for business. Newry City is strategically placed on the A1 / M1 Belfast to Dublin corridor and Downpatrick is in close proximity to Belfast. The District is well served with a strong retail offering and a diverse range of service industries, manufacturing and agri-food businesses.
Council
Listed below are some of the key features of our District.
- A settlement mix of city, towns, villages and rural areas
- Outstanding natural and built heritage
- Coastline, beaches, resorts, forests, mountains (Mournes and Slieve Gullion)
- Tourism destination status
- Economic corridor and cross border location - proximity to markets
- Access in and out - by road, rail, port and air
- Employment in large industry and through small business, including urban and rural options
- Important contributions from farming, food and fishing sectors
- Public service provision - health, education, housing, amenities
- Retail services
- Educated, skilled and enterprising people
- Overall quality of life for residents
- Community capacity and engagement; and
- Potential for renewable energy sources.
How To Contact Us
Telephone: 0300 013 2233 (Council) / 0300 200 7830 (Planning)
Email: council@nmandd.org
Visit: www.newrymournedown.org