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Mourne Mountains Gateway Project
Mourne Mountains Gateway Project Update
We are pleased to announce that a series of public engagement sessions will commence in the coming months and continue over the next year. These sessions will provide various opportunities for everyone to participate, share their views, and help shape the future of the project. We aim to create a space where all voices can be heard, ensuring that the project reflects the community’s desires and priorities. A Project Stakeholder Forum is also currently being developed, which will be made up of representatives from a broad range of local community groups and organisations.
We understand there has been significant interest surrounding the Mourne Mountains Gateway Project and we appreciate the importance of keeping the community informed and involved. We are committed to engaging with all stakeholders.
You might have noticed that we have recently commenced environmental and traffic surveys. We are gathering essential data to help guide the project. We would kindly ask members of the public to get in touch if our mats, cameras or other survey equipment appears to have been moved or damaged in any way. The equipment plays a central role in our ability to collect accurate, foolproof data and is central to our comprehensive information gathering process.
Pre-Market Engagement for Contractors
As part of our commitment to ensure that all aspects of sustainability are considered from the outset, we will be initiating pre-market engagement for the procurement of contractors. We need early input from potential contractors as to how any developing design can be built in a sustainable manner. Given the challenges of building in a highly sensitive mountainous environment, it is important the design considers matters such as access, utilities and buildability. Please note no works contractors are being appointed at this stage. However, gondola construction specialists will be critical partners in the early design phases, providing essential expertise and helping us develop a solution that is both functional and minimises environmental impact.
Delivery Team Announced
A highly experienced delivery team has been appointed to further strengthen the project's development. An integrated consultancy team led by Arup, along with TODD Architects, Gleeds, and Tandem Design, will be responsible for delivering the Mourne Mountains Gateway Project. For more details, visit this link.
Stay Informed and Get Involved
We encourage you to stay informed about the project's progress. We will be updating this webpage regularly and providing further details about the public consultation opportunities. Check back here or on our social media pages to keep informed.
Anticipated Key Programme Dates
• Integrated Consultancy Team Appointment – Completed
• Public and Stakeholder Engagement – Ongoing throughout the project
• Design Process / Surveys and Investigations – Year 2024
• Planning Application Submission – Quarter 3 2025
• Anticipated Planning Approval – Quarter 4 2026
• Project Construction Commence – Quarter 1 2027
• Project Construction Complete – Quarter 2 2029
• Project Operational – Quarter 2 2029
Project Aim
“To deliver a world-class tourist attraction that will support the sustainable regional growth of tourism in Northern Ireland and help to position Newry, Mourne and Down as one of the premier tourism destinations on the Island of Ireland. The project will provide major enhancements to the visitor experience in and around the Mournes, whilst protecting and enhancing the natural heritage and habitat of the region.”
A £200 million package of investment is coming to the district through Belfast Region City Deal funding for projects based on tourism, regeneration, and innovation. Other projects benefitting include Newry City Centre Regeneration and the Newry Southern Relief Road.
The Mourne Mountains Gateway Project is potentially transformative for Newcastle and Newry, Mourne and Down.
Scheme Summary
Estimated Project Cost: £44million (£30million from Belfast Region City Deal and £14million from Newry, Mourne and Down District Council).
Construction Proposals: The proposal is for the establishment of a Visitor Centre at Thomas Quarry in the Mournes, with a Gondola uplift that will commence in Donard Park.
Status: RIBA Stage 2 Concept Design - Underway.
Background
The concept of the Mourne Mountains Gateway Project has evolved for almost 20 years, stretching back to the Newcastle Tourism Development Strategy and Action Plan in 2004 and South East Coast Masterplan for DSD in 2013.
A Strategic Outline Case and Outline Business Case for the project, developed from 2017 involved consultation with key stakeholders and identified the Thomas Quarry site as the preferred option for the Visitor Centre location.
Outline Business Case approval was secured following consideration by Tourism NI, Department for Economy and Department of Finance in 2022.
Design
This will be a major tourism project in Newcastle, creating a “standout experience” for visitors, that will be sensitive to the environment and local community, and comprise of the following:
Gondola
• Gondola to a Visitor Centre at Thomas Quarry (a distance of 1km and 230m elevation).
• Lower gondola station at Donard Park positioned to ensure protection of protected trees.
• Upper gondola station integrated into the proposed visitors’ centre.
World Class Visitor Centre
• Visitor Centre at Thomas Quarry, recognised as a World Class visitor attraction, catering for 350,000 visitors annually.
• Inspiring building within a beautiful setting, that offers visitors the opportunity to experience the natural surroundings of a unique environment.
• Building will include Viewing Platforms, Flexible events space, Café/ bar, Interpretation Space.
• Design to facilitate scalability and flexibility with a central services area allowing all public areas to be multi use.
• The building has been specifically located to allow views over both the existing site features including waterfall and rock formations as well as over Newcastle, the Irish Sea, Scotland and the Isle of Man.
Links from the Visitor Centre
• A comprehensive visitor management plan will be developed to manage the visitors to the site.
Sustainability
• Highest environmental considerations for Visitor Centre, operations, and transport, with emphasis on a “light touch” carbon footprint.
• Consideration of wider community impact.
• Priority given to reinvestment back into the protection of the natural environment.
Benefits
• Deliver a world class ‘must see’ experience to market to Out of State (OoS) visitors south of Belfast, balanced between the Guinness Storehouse in Dublin, Titanic Belfast, and the Giant’s Causeway to the north coast. The Mourne Mountains Gateway Project will further enhance the offering from the Causeway Coastal Route through to the Mourne Coastal Route, on to Dublin, and thus the overall Irish tourism offering.
• Provide a greatly enhanced and accessible Mourne offering, with significant improvements to the infrastructure of Newcastle and its natural assets, to make for visitor experiences which are of international quality.
• Deliver major enhancements to the narrative around the Mournes and the surrounding area and habitat, which shall augment an events programme, and which will make the town an appealing year-round visitor destination.
• Deliver a rebranded and repositioned Newcastle with a heritage/landscape-led tourism package incorporating must-see visitor attractions and offering increased regional dispersity.
• Create jobs in a relatively rural location, ensuring inclusive employment opportunities for all.
• Support local hospitality businesses to address the opportunities from increased OoS visitors to the area.
• Provide an exemplar of a sustainable tourism offering that will attract positive attention internationally.
• Through access to the natural environment, support wider agendas of health and wellbeing.
Environment and Ecology
Newry, Mourne and Down District Council are aware of their obligation to protect the environment through the project development. There are several designations in the area, such as:
• Eastern Mournes SAC
• Murlough SAC
• Eastern Mournes
• Murlough ASSI
• Mournes Coast ASSI
• Shimna River ASSI
• Mourne AONB National
• Annesley Demesne SLNCI
The key scheme environmental considerations and further investigations that will need to be undertaken:
• Ecology & Biodiversity
• Habitat and Species Surveys
• Noise & Vibration
• Odour / Air Quality
• Hydrology / Hydrogeology
• Soils / Geology
• Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment
• Erosion
• Archaeology / Heritage
• Potable Water Source
• Wastewater Treatment and controlled discharge
• Electricity Supply
• Waste Disposal
• Flood Risk Assessment
• Drainage Plan
• Construction Environmental Management Plan
• Geotechnical Ground Investigations
• Thomas Quarry Cliff Face Stability Assessment
