Toilets to remain closed at busy Newcastle car park as resurfacing work continues

Toilets to remain closed at busy Newcastle car park as resurfacing work continues

19 February 2025

A TOILET block in the centre of Newcastle is to remain closed until the end of March.

Toilets at Castle Park will remain closed until work to increase the number of parking spaces by one third is completed at the Newry, Mourne and Down Council facility.

The car park is being resurfaced and the upgrade will also include new kerbs, mini pillars and new landscaping.

Alternative parking and toilet facilities are available at the Downs Road, Islands Park, Central Promenade and Donard Park. 

Pedestrian access will continue to be available from Central Promenade to Shimna Road via the boating lake walkway which runs adjacent to Castle Park.

The council is increasing the number of parking spaces at Castle Park by 33, taking the total number to 88. The revamped car park will include six disabled spaces and feature dedicated electric vehicle charging points.

Demand for town centre parking, especially from Easter through until October, is well known and the the additional spaces have been welcomed by residents and the business community.

Motorhome owners also use Castle Park but were banned for seven days last September during the Irish Open at Royal County Down Golf Club.

An overhead height restriction barrier was erected to keep motorhome owners out during the tournament and some local politicians have suggested they should be permanently be prohibited from parking at the town centre location.

Currently, motorhome parking is banned between midnight and 6am under a council bye-law but it is being ignored at Castle Park and is a cause for concern for local authority officials who are drawing up a new motorhome strategy.

Last year, a survey revealed that 27 motorhomes were parked overnight at Castle Park in direct contravention of local authority legislation.

Motorhome owners are currently banned from parking at the Downs Road and Glen River car parks in the resort where height restriction barriers are in place.

A number of local politicians say overnight camping has become unsustainable and is placing operational and environmental pressure on visitor attractions that are designed for daytime use only.

There is additional concern that some motorhome owners put out awnings and tables and chairs which take up adjoining parking spaces that could be used by visitors.

The move to devise a new motorhome strategy to address concern about the number of vehicles was agreed as their owners were taking up parking spaces not only in Newcastle, but across the district.

Local authority officials have previously met with senior representatives from the Department for Infrastructure, Tourism NI, motorhome user groups, Newcastle residents and the owners of local caravan parks and campsites to discuss the parking issue.

The final detail of the draft strategy  — which will apply across the entire council area — will be discussed by members of the council’s Sustainability and Environment Committee.

Councillors say they recognise the need to come up with a solution to an issue which has been in the headlines for a number of years.

Concern remains about some motorhome owners who park in the resort overnight in Castle Park amid claims that they do not make a significant contribution to the resort’s economy and can often take up valuable parking spaces which day trippers could use.

The assertion has been denied by motorhome owners who have previously made it clear they are unhappy about being “victimised” and vehemently rejected accusations that they do not spend money in the resort, arguing there is not enough dedicated parking spaces for them in Newcastle.