‘Gazumping’ claim is made against church

‘Gazumping’ claim is made against church

19 February 2014

THE Catholic Church has been accused of engaging in a “gazumping exercise” over the sale of a former primary school site in Newcastle.

The accusation was made late yesterday afternoon by a frustrated Down Council chief executive, John Dumigan, who has described the church’s activities as “morally wrong.”

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

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

The Church has rejected claims it “reneged” on the deal to sell the site to the local authority, but it’s not a view shared by senior council officials and Newcastle councillors.

They have called a public meeting in the town next Thursday night, February 27, to explain in detail to local people everything they did to secure the site. The meeting is being held in the Newcastle Centre at 7.00pm.

Invitations will be issued to the the Down and Connor Diocese, Maghera Parish trustees and their solicitors. Council officials have said all the information that they hold on the negotiations will be released.

Council officials believed they secured the deal to purchase the former school site last October when both parties’ solicitors began to draw up and agree contract documents.

The contracts were due to be exchanged between the local authority and the Trustees of the Parish of Maghera last Friday but  a solicitor advised council officials their offer wasn’t acceptable. Councillors claimed a much higher bid had been received.

Members of Down Council’s Recreation Committee met yesterday afternoon to discuss the issue when it was confirmed that the local authority’s lawyers and solicitors for the trustees are to reopen negotiations.

Mr. Dumigan said he believes the negotiations will result in Down Council being told it has not offered enough money for the site.

“From our perspective, we had a deal with the Parish to buy the site and shook hands. The Church is now engaged in a gazumping exercise and this is morally wrong in my opinion. In my view, a deal is a deal,” declared the chief executive.

“We will go back to meeting the representatives of the parish but I have no doubt they will ask for more money. What we have to decide is do we want to do this or not?”

Mr. Dumigan said he will be recommending at next Monday night’s meeting of Down Council that the local authority does not increase the offer it previously made.

The chief executive added: “Newcastle councillors have called a public meeting next week to explain to people exactly what has happened during this process when we went down the road with the parish.”

Parish trustees have confirmed they are legally bound to consider all offers and are “open to consideration of Down Council’s offer in regard to the sale” while the Down and Connor Diocese said “no sale had been agreed with any parties at any stage.”

Trustees insist the Shanslieve Drive site was put on the market last year after a private sale to the council had failed in 2012 and that during the subsequent period, offers were received from a number of parties, including Down Council.

In a statement, the Trustees said the Shanslieve Drive site is held in stewardship for the good of the parish.

“Parish trustees are legally bound to act in the best interests of the parish and to consider offers made through the public market process. In the case of sales of former school sites, the trustees are required to return a substantial percentage of the final sale price to the Department of Education.”

Newcastle councillors say they are “shocked and feel betrayed as a result of the church’s dishonourable behaviour.” Sinn Fein’s Stephen Burns and Willie Clarke, the SDLP’s Laura Devlin and Carmel O’Boyle, Dessie Patterson (UUP) and Alliance’s Patrick Clarke, claim the church had twice gone back on its word to sell the land, initially sold to the parish by the Annesley estate.

“This land belongs to the people of the parish, not to bishops or priests,” they said in a strongly worded joint statement. “None of us was consulted by them, nor had we a say in their negotiations.

“News that bids had continually been solicited, even while contracts were being drawn up, is of particular concern to us. Everyone fully accepted, and was led to believe, that the deal would be concluded on February 14.”