A SECOND major community development project in Dundrum is being held up by an ongoing ban on development in the village. The Church of Ireland has plans to develop the Old School House at the junction of Main Street and School Hill to create two units which could be rented out to community organisations or as the base for commercial operations.
The listed building has been derelict for a number of years and the Church is keen to develop the site to stop the deterioration in the structure and to provide an income for the parish. However, the plans by the Select Vestry of Kilmegan have been blocked by NI Water, which is refusing to allow any connections to the sewer network until the completion of the ongoing upgrade of the sewerage infrastructure in the village. A similar development plan to regenerate another derelict site in the village – the former Castle Vaults pub at the other end of Main Street – is also in limbo because of the ban which NI Water says will not be lifted until two pumping stations are constructed at either end of Dundrum.
Dundrum Development Association (DDA) acquired the former bar, which was destroyed in an IRA bomb blast 50 years ago, and plans to demolish the remains of the structure before redevelopment. In its place the DDA wants to construct two commercial units and four apartments in a building which will mirror as closely as possible the attractive bar which once occupied the site. However, NI Water is opposed to the development of the Castle Vaults site and the Old School House, along with all other development in the village which requires a connection to a sewer, because of the pressure on the sewerage infrastructure. NI Water began a major upgrade to the sewerage infrastructure in 2019 and has completed the overhaul of the sewage treatment works on the Newcastle Road and of the sewers throughout the village. The provision of the pumping stations is the last part of the project. However, the ongoing financial problems facing NI Water means it has been continually delayed and there is no indication of when the work will be carried out. Because of the delay in completing the work, Dundrum is in a unique position in Northern Ireland as the only village or town where a complete ban on development has been imposed by the Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA).
The ban was imposed several years ago because of pollution concerns in Dundrum Inner Bay, which is the location for a large shellfish farm. At the time the ban was put in place it had been thought the pollution was coming from the sewage treatment plant, but a report produced last year indicates the pollution is coming from agricultural run-off from nearby farms.
Rev. Myrtle Morrison, Church of Ireland Area Dean of Kilmegan, Dundrum and Maghera, said there is ‘frustration’ within the local church that the ambitious plans to restore the Old School House cannot proceed. “We just didn’t want to see it going to wreck and ruin,” she said. “It is in the best interests of the local community that this historic building in the centre of Dundrum is restored for the community. “We plan to create two units or spaces within the building which could be used by the community or for retail use,” added Rev. Morrison. “There are already people who know about our plans and who have expressed an interest in using the building but we can’t progress our plans because of the objections from NI Water. “The ongoing impasse is frustrating for everyone, who are left just watching this important building continue to disintegrate,” she added. Stephen Calvert, the Chairman of Dundrum Development Association, said the fact that the new mains sewer was installed in the Main Street five years ago in 2019 and there has been no obvious additional work since then is ‘very frustrating’. “The required upgrade of the two key wastewater pumping stations means that the planning permission is being refused for developments in the village as the current sewer network is deemed to have capacity constraints,” he said. “The lack of the required upgrade of the two key wastewater pumping stations is stifling not only greenfield developments but importantly redevelopment opportunities in the village,” he added. “This impacts upon commercial, housing, tourist and social use developments which will improve the overall fabric of our village. “The delays increase the risks of the developments and opportunities never taking place. “We would urge NI Water to prioritise the upgrading of the two key wastewater pumping stations and bring the overall sewer network to the level to meet the standards that will support sustainable development in the village for the foreseeable future.
