Further political support for railway road name proposal

Further political support for railway road name proposal

12 June 2024

A SECOND politician has weighed in with support for a proposal to have a road close to the Downpatrick and Co Down Railway in Downpatrick renamed to reflect the history of this part of the town.

Newry, Mourne and Down Council has shunted the suggestion into the sidings, but it has been asked to reconsider the matter.

Heritage railway officials in the town are keen to see the road – which services several car parks and passes Rathkeltair House and the St Patrick Centre – renamed as Railway Street, Railway Road or Station Road.

However, the local authority, which places significant emphasis on tourism, has said ‘no’ with its decision leaving railway enthusiasts baffled as they try to come to terms with the impact of last November’s devastating flood which engulfed the highly acclaimed living history tourism attraction.

The suggestion to rename the road, which runs adjacent to Market Street, was first raised in 2019 and revisited last year before the catastrophic flooding engulfed the railway and much of the town centre.

A number of local councillors say they recognise the significance of the renaming proposal to reflect the area’s heritage and its indelible link with railways and have weighed in with their support.

In the recent Living High Streets framework unveiled by the Downpatrick Regeneration Working Group, the potential for the heritage railway to play an even bigger role was highlighted.

Last week, Downpatrick Cllr Hanlon said the small group of the charity’s volunteers “carry out fantastic work” in preserving the heritage of Downpatrick Railway and that renaming the road can only bring added value to their offering from a tourism and heritage perspective.

“Street names create a pride of place and reflect historical and geographical features of the surrounding areas,” she added.

Cllr Gareth Sharvin agrees.

He said he fully supports the proposal to change the road name at the back of the Grove shopping centre.

“The Downpatrick and Co Down Railway station is an important historic and tourism asset to the town and wider Lecale area,” he said.

“The remaining of the road to Railway Street, Railway Road or Station Road would provide a strong linkage to the history of the area and provide a clear tourism direction for visitors to Downpatrick.”

Cllr Sharvin said there is a clear precedent for roads along former railway lines to be name appropriately.

“In Killough we have Station Road and in Newcastle there is Railway Street,” he continued.

“The road names not only promote the history of the area, but also local businesses have named their business in such names. The local council’s decision to refuse the request needs to be looked at again and understand the reasonings. I see the positives highly outweighing any negatives.” 

Railway chairman Robert Gardiner said when the issue was previously raised in 2022, officials were assured the bid “would be favourably considered, especially with support from local elected representatives.”

He described the local authority’s refusal as “surprising and unexpected” and revealed railway officials have aimed to engage positively and constructively with the local authority “seeking solutions to obstacles rather than facing straightforward refusals”.

Mr Gardiner added: “Downpatrick is a rare example of a former railway town in Northern Ireland that doesn’t have any railway-named roads, such as Railway Street or Station Road.

“Our proposal was intended to honour the local heritage of the former Belfast and County Down Railway site.”