Fall out continues after school sale falls through

Fall out continues after school sale falls through

26 February 2014

DOWN Council is seeking an urgent meeting with Catholic church officials following the bitter fall-out over land intended for a leisure centre in Newcastle.

The council wants to meet the Maghera Parish Priest, Fr. James Crudden, his solicitor and parish trustees after the attempt to buy the former St. Mary’s Primary School fell through at the last minute.

Last week frustrated council chief executive John Dumigan accused the Catholic Church of engaging in a “gazumping exercise” and described the church’s activities as morally wrong. Newcastle councillors said they also felt shocked and betrayed.

In a bid to brief Newcastle residents on the saga, town councillors have called a public meeting in Newcastle Centre tomorrow night at which they plan to lay out their side of the negotiations.

The council wants to purchase the former school and build a new leisure centre on the site.

The local authority believed it had secured a deal to purchase the former St. Mary’s Primary School site but was informed by a solicitor acting for the Maghera Parish that it’s offer for the Shanslieve Drive site was ‘unacceptable.”

Council officials claim one of its directors shook hands on the deal with a representative of the parish

and contracts had been drawn up and were ready to be signed.

However, council officials have also claimed an estate agent has been trying to get higher bids for the site, breaching the spirit of the deal.

In a statement released last week after the deal fell through, the church said it was legally bound to act in the best interests of the parish. It also pointed out that a substantial percentage of the sale price from school sites had to be returned to the Department of Education.

At Monday’s meeting of Down Council, councillor Stephen Burns said they had called for the meeting with the parish after receiving communication from the Chancellor of the Diocese of Down Conor, Fr. Eugene D. O’Hagan.

The chancellor advised that Fr. Curran, given his position as Parish Priest, acted directly on behalf of the Parish and was “responsible at this stage for instructing the solicitor in all matters regarding the proposed sale of the former site of St Mary’s Primary School to Down District

Council”.

A draft letter from Down Council to the parish solicitor expressing “deep dissatisfaction” with the situation was also approved at Monday’s meeting.

The letter states that the council had “acted in good faith at all times” with a view to enhancing tourism and recreation facilities in the town of Newcastle.

The letter also refers to the “protracted negotiations” and “considerable resources and officer time” expended to bring the contract to its very final stages of being agreed on February 14.

“The council is understandably bitterly disappointed by this position,” the letter reads.

Councillor Carmel O’Boyle said all interested parties were invited to the public meeting to discuss the issue on Thursday at 7.30pm in the Newcastle Centre.