Concern over delay with Dowpatrick flagship site

Concern over delay with Dowpatrick flagship site

31 January 2024

THE continued delay in delivering a new flagship development in Downpatrick town centre highlights the need for a restored Northern Ireland Executive, according to a local politician.

South Down SDLP MLA Colin McGrath is keen to see ambitious plans to redevelop the former Irish Street police station site and a number of adjacent empty buildings progressed.

Last March, it was revealed that no developers had submitted expressions of interest to redevelop the two acre site which stretches back to St Patrick’s Avenue and includes the Irish Street car park.

The Department for Communities and Newry, Mourne and Down Council are spearheading the redevelopment drive and were confident that a new mixed development proposal would make a major contribution to the social and economic regeneration of the town centre and act as a catalyst to secure additional investment.

In the wake of the lack of interest from developers, both organisations decided to reappraise the situation and carry out some work ahead of readvertising for expressions of interest.

But progress has been slow since the collapse of the Stormont Assembly.

The Department of Communities has always insisted that the redevelopment of the Irish Street site remains a priority project and revealed last year that while there was interest in the development brief documentation for the Irish Street site, this did not lead to any developers submitting formal proposals.

While several developers did express an interest, they did not follow through with formal bids which the government department would have scrutinised before a contractor would have been appointed.

The former police base was purchased by the Department for Communities (DfC) with the aim of revitalising Downpatrick town centre, with contractors with previous experience of similar schemes in a conservation area encouraged to submit bids.

Concerned at the continuing delay in developing the prime town centre site, Mr McGrath has reiterated his call and those of others for a restored Executive to drive the project.

“I am concerned that there appears to be a slight delay in developing the Irish Street site,” he said.

“It’s my understanding there have been delays with consultant’ reports and procurement issues and while 

delays are understandable and something we all want to see overcome, the longer the project is delayed the more associated problems will begin to surface.”

Mr McGrath believes if the Executive and political institutions were restored, a Stormont  communities minister could take the necessary lead in driving the Irish Street project forward.

He said it’s his understanding that the DfC is doing all it can to identify uses for Irish Street, particularly the car park site. 

But the MLA said the work has been delayed due to the recent flooding event which decimated town centre businesses.

Mr McGrath said he is heartened that the Downptrick Regeneration Working Group is involved in the development of the Irish Street project.

“The Department for Communities continues to work with traders to get the best deal possible for the site and Downpatrick and I have no doubt about its commitment to seeing this scheme delivered,” he continued.

“However, the longer the project gets delayed, the more it feeds into a narrative of inactivity.”

Mr McGrath said Downpatrick has reached what he described as a “critical juncture”.

He added: “Traders have done their utmost to bounce back following the November flood and the local council has tried to support this. Now we need the return of the central government to help bring forward those bigger picture and longer term aspirations for the town. That’s what I remain committed to doing.”

Former Stormont Communities Minister Deirdre Hargey described the redevelopment of the Irish Street site as good news for the town and represented a “once in a lifetime opportunity”.

When the redevelopment scheme as formally launched, she said the aim was to create an “innovative and inclusive place of the highest urban design quality”, with developers and other interested parties asked to submit design and build proposals for the regeneration of the strategic site.

Ms Hargey described the “exciting project” as a great example of central and local government working with partners to transform a strategically important site and to deliver a wide range of social and economic benefits for Downpatrick.

She said it would see the much-needed regeneration of vacant buildings in Irish Street and breathe life and vitality back into the heart of the town, creating jobs, commercial activity and homes.