More than £1m already spent on controversial gondola plan

More than £1m already spent on controversial gondola plan

30 April 2025

OVER £1 million has been spent to date on the controversial Mourne Mountains Gateway project, the Down Recorder can reveal.

It has been confirmed that in region of £1.15m has been invested on the development and approval of the outline business case for the £44m project.

The spend on the proposed flagship scheme – which features a cable car ride from Donard Park to a proposed visitor centre at a disused quarry on Thomas’s mountain – also includes project development costs for the works being progressed by ARUP consultants.

News of the incurred costs comes as campaigners vehemently opposed to the scheme financed by the Belfast Region City Deal and Newry, Mourne and Down Council are putting the finishing touches to a public protest in Newcastle next Saturday, May 10.

A walk will take place from the Downs Road car park at noon and make its way via Main Street to the entrance to Donard Park where it will disperse.

The scale of investment in what is being billed as a flagship tourism project comes after the district’s 41 councillors were asked to scrap the gondola ride, which would be the first of its kind on the island of Ireland.

Campaigners have also claimed the local authority is “unwilling or unable” to share evacuation plans for the project in the event of an emergency.

The proposed gondola ride has come in for stern criticism from locals labelling it a “white elephant” and “vanity project” with the National Trust recently pausing engagement with the local authority over the scheme.

And Stormont Economy Minister Caoimhe Archibald is to be asked for her assessment of the current situation in the wake of the conservation charity’s decision as it owns much of the land the tourism project requires if it is to be delivered.

Three weeks ago, the council’s consultants advised the local authority to provide “increased transparency” around the multi-million pound scheme’s decision making process.

ARUP, which is also overseeing the public engagement process as part of the multi-million pound scheme, published a draft report on its findings.

It highlights the need for increased transparency, particularly around the financial business case and that “clearer communication of project benefits and trade-offs will be pivotal in addressing public concerns”.

With campaigners now focusing on next week’s protest march, one of the organisers said the local authority “needs to see the strength of public feeling” on the issue.

Mr Declan Owens, Ecojustice Ireland chief executive and a member of the Save Our Donard campaign group, is urging local people opposed to the gondola ride to support the protest.

He is calling on them to take to the streets and “show their discontent with the plans”.

Mr Owens said protest was an inherent part of democratic engagement.

“The council needs to see the strength of public feeling on this,” he said. “It is one thing to hold a public meeting but it’s another to physically walk down Newcastle Main Street with banners.”

Mr Owens continued: “The Parades Commission has given us the go-ahead and we have already organised with police on managing traffic on the day, so this is now about showing our elected representatives that we are not happy and we are challenging these plans.”

While Mr Owens has welcomed the National Trust’s decision to pause engagement with the council over the gondola proposal and said it isn’t enough.

“The National Trust should look at this proposal and say it’s not going to happen on their land,” he said.

“Even though they [National Trust] have paused engagement, the council can submit a planning application for the project, so they could go further and put a complete stop to this.

“The National Trust has a veto and it is not exercising it.”

The Trust insists it is not a partner in the Mourne Gateway Project and is not involved in the development or the design, nor endorses the proposal.

It says its position on the gondola and visitor centre remains unchanged.

“We have serious concerns about the environmental impact and will not provide a lease for Thomas’ Quarry unless a full environmental impact assessment and our concerns about the potential impact of the project on the landscape, wildlife, livestock and water quality of the area have been addressed,” a spokesperson said recently.

“Our understanding is the project is still in the conceptual stage and we expect that all our concerns, which we have consistently stated, will be considered fully, through robust environmental impact assessments.”

The spokeswoman added: “The habitat on Slieve Donard is exceptionally fragile. The area is designated as a Special Area of Conservation due to the montane and dry heath, blanket bog and the specialised flora and fauna which live in this landscape.?These habitats are internationally scarce and need special protection.”

The Trust says given the environmental impact already caused by increased visitor numbers, it believes any new proposals for this area must have sustainable tourism at its heart, ensuring the community, environment and local economy can thrive now and in the future.?