Switching gondola venue doesn’t address concerns

Switching gondola venue doesn’t address concerns

2 July 2025

A NEW social media group launched to monitor Newry, Mourne and Down Council projects and spending believes the decision to switch a proposed gondola ride in Newcastle to Rostrevor carries “extremely high risks”.

The local authority was forced to seek an alternative location after the National Trust refused to make its land in the Mournes available for the £44m Mournes Gateway Project.

At the heart of what was billed as a “flagship tourism project” was a cable car ride from a base station in Donard Park to a new visitor centre at the site of a disused quarry at Thomas’s mountain.

In the wake of the conservation charity’s decision, the local authority dramatically switched attention to Kilbroney forest park in Rostrevor.

The council decision was taken without public consultation and within hours of the announcement, an online petition opposing the Kilbroney plan was launched.

Those opposed to the Rostrevor gondola plan have described it as a “last minute switch” which “smacks of desperation from a handful of council officials”.

In addition, opponents have described the proposal as a “white elephant” that poses a risk to the environment and “may well see millions of pounds squandered.”

The initial Newcastle proposal was at the core of the so-called Mourne Mountains Gateway Project which was being financed by the Belfast Region City Deal (£30m) and local ratepayers who were being asked to contribute £14m.

The council says it is “exploring a transformative visitor experience at Kilbroney Forest Park”.

Following the National Trust’s decision to refuse a lease of lands at Slieve Donard and spending over £1.5m in ratepayers money progressing the failed scheme, the council says it is now “actively working” with all partners to secure the £30m City Deal investment in the area.

The council says the Kilbroney initiative would create a “compelling tourism offering in the district, while also encouraging visitors to continue their journeys into the heart of the Mournes and beyond.”

Officials insist “environmental sensitivity” will continue to be a core principle of the proposal. 

“The cable car route is yet to be determined but it will not pass through the ancient oak woodland and development would be carried out in a sustainable manner that protects the park’s natural assets,” it’s insisting.

But the online Council Watch group has revealed a comprehensive report has identified “regulatory hurdles and environmental considerations” for the proposed Kilbroney gondola.

The 22-page report claims investigations show that the Cloughmore Stone area in the park

holds dual designations as both as a “national nature reserve* and “area of special scientific interest”.

In addition, the report says the ancient Rostrevor Oakwood, containing trees over 250 years old, carries Special Area of Conservation status, with the entire project area falling within the Mourne Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

“These environmental designations trigger mandatory Environmental Impact Assessment requirements and will need specific consents from the Environment Agency for any ‘notifiable operations’ in protected areas,” the report continues.

“Northern Ireland planning regulations classify this project as ‘major development’ requiring pre-application community consultation including public events and detailed consultation reports.”

The report continues: “Multiple government agencies must provide approvals including the Forest Service, Department for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs and potentially the Department for Infrastructure (DFI).

Local representatives including South Down MLA Colin McGrath and Cllr Jarlath Tinnelly have called for “meaningful consultation with the local community” and comprehensive environmental assessments.

Council Watch spokesman Geoff Ingram said the previous gondola proposal for Slieve Donard was blocked by the National Trust due to environmental impacts and a significant public backlash against the project. 

“Does Newry, Mourne and Down Council believe that the backlash in Rostrevor will be any less, or that the serious environmental concerns have somehow disappeared?” he asked.

“Last week’s court ruling on the proposed A5 road scheme and the implications of the Climate Change Act has raised the stakes even higher.”

Mr Ingram said the High Court judgement shows that environmental concerns “cannot simply be wished away” by government departments which, he argued, has been the tradition in Northern Ireland. 

“It is widely acknowledged that this decision will affect all infrastructure projects going forward,” he said.

Mr Ingram said the new report made it clear that the risks around the Kilbroney gondola project were extremely high.

He added: “Unfortunately, the way in which the proposal has been rushed through council gives little confidence that officers have given proper consideration to such risks, suggesting that even more public money will be wasted on an idea that is fundamentally ill-conceived and ultimately doomed to failure.”