Doubts of Gateway

SIR, — Several aspects of the Mournes Gateway Project give me serious doubts about the quality of the recommendations made by the consultants. 

The Down Recorder article last week included an artist’s impression of a spiral path up a grassy mound on the grass slope below the main car park in Tollymore. It would spoil a lovely space.  

Have the consultants no idea of the effect of human erosion on a mound like this?  

There would be muddy paths running down it in no time and it would become an embarrassing expensive eyesore. They also suggest reducing the tree line of Donard Forest in order to supposedly make the mountains look bigger.

Clear-felling a strip along the top of the forest would not produce an impression of bigger mountains, just a messy strip of damaged land. This would also destroy vital habitat for the red squirrels, pine martens and the birds of the forest.

Last week, Newry, Mourne and Down Council passed a motion to take climate change emergency considerations into account in every area under its control. We need more trees to absorb carbon dioxide. We should not be clear-felling for such a ridiculous reason.

As for the proposed gondola, the article repeats the claim that it would offer a “ride into the heart of the mountains.” That is just advertising-speak.  

The gondola is planned to go to the Thomas’s Mountain quarry at the top edge of the forest — a quarry that used to be an ugly scar, with its spoil heap and big shed visible from Newcastle Main Street.

But not any longer. Tree-planting has hidden the spoil heap, and the shed has been removed. The mountain has had its natural beauty restored.

Why ruin the view with buildings including a visitors` centre/café and a top station for a gondola with pylons and related infrastructure?  

When not open, the visitors` centre will need to be a secure bunker against vandalism. Will a firebreak be needed to protect the pylons and cables from the windblown trees that fall so often in this forest?   

How will the alpine coaster ride be constructed to cross the forest roads and paths?  Down in Donard Park, will the base station building be a welcome addition?

The fragile and dangerous slopes around and above the quarry are not suitable terrain for inexperienced people. Eroded paths will create new problems and visual scars if hillwalkers choose this as a higher start for walking up Millstone Mountain, Thomas’s Mountain and Slieve Donard.   

A realistic business plan may show that the gondola scheme does not make sense. How many people will want to pay to go up in poor weather and in the winter months?  

How much will a ticket cost?  Will this really be a world class attraction or is that more advertising-speak? Have the parking and traffic implications been worked out if this does “significantly increase the number of visitors to the resort”?

Newry, Mourne and Down Council should do a serious environmental impact assessment and reconsider these plans.

Yours etc,

ANDY CARDEN.