
A DEMONSTRATION took place at the National Trust offices at Murlough on Monday, by three groups who called for the Trust to end any chance of a gondola being built on Slieve Donard mountain.
The demonstrators made the point that as the landowner, and also as an organisation that seeks to protect the environment, the National Trust had the power to stop the Mourne Gateway Project.
However, the National Trust has responded by saying that it has repeatedly stated that it has concerns about the project and has expressed those to Newry, Mourne and Down District Council.
They said they will not provide any lease until an environmental assessment has been carried out and their concerns have been addressed. The National Trust added that the project is still at a conceptual stage, and they are currently engaging with the council on the matter.
Those in attendance at the demonstration on Monday included Geoff Ingram from the Mourne Gateway Information Group, Sean O Baoill from the Green Party and Delan Owens from the ‘Sod Off’ (Save our Donard) campaign.
They met two representatives from the National Trust, Patrick Lynch (Area General Manager South Down) and Melina Quinn (Nature Conservation Advisor) who listened to the three campaigners’ concerns.
Declan Owens told the Mourne Observer: “I told the National Trust representatives that the NT is betraying its mission by not stepping in to stop the Mourne Gateway Project.
“I advised them that they have enough information to take a stand now and prevent it from progressing as the landowner.
“I suggested that they obtain an Environmental Impact Assessment now themselves and not wait for the ICT (integrated consultancy team) managed by Arup to produce their own.
“I also warned that, in SOD Off!’s view, the National Trust would be negligent not to do so. I warned that if they approve the use of their land, they will be acting against their mission statement and could be subject to legal action.”
Declan also said the campaign group which was set up to oppose the gondola proposal believes the National Trust “has already lost the trust of the people of the Mournes by failing to proactively protect and care for Slieve Donard” on this issue.
“They will prevent nature from thriving if they grant permission for their land to be used. They will also exacerbate the threat that they have identified so, instead of providing urgent care, they will facilitate harm to nature.
“A gondola and visitors centre on Slieve Donard, and the related ecological impact, will destroy the fabric of the landscape for the people of the Mournes.”
The National Trust provided a response to the concerns from the demonstrators.
In particular, on the point that the demonstrators want to the National Trust to take a stand against the Mourne Gateway gondola project, the Trust’s response was as follows: “The National Trust is not a partner in the project.
“The National Trust is not involved in the development or the design, nor do we endorse the project.
“As a landowner and provider of access in the Mournes, the National Trust is a key stakeholder of the council in relation to the Mourne Gateway project, in particular the proposed gondola and visitor centre at Thomas’ Quarry.
“Our 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.
“Newry Mourne and Down District Council and the National Trust have signed a Memorandum of Understanding which sets out how they will communicate and engage effectively with each other in relation to the Council’s proposed Mournes Gateway Project.
“The MOU defines our route of communication with the Council, to ensure that National Trust is kept informed as to the development of the project and clarify roles and responsibilities of each party in doing that.
“The MOU is not a legally binding contract. It underlines our mutual interest in preserving, protecting, and promoting appropriate access to the Mournes.
“It does not commit either the National Trust or the Council to any specific course of action or any decisions.”
In regards to the call for the National Trust to obtain an environmental impact assessment and not wait for the ICT to produce its own, the trust said: “This is a Newry Mourne and Down District Council project and therefore it is their responsibility to carry out these assessments.
“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.
“Until we are clearer about the impacts and the details of the project, we will not provide a lease.
“We have consistently expressed our serious concerns to Newry, Mourne and Down District Council about the potential environmental impacts of the proposed project.
“We have highlighted the need for a full environmental impact assessment of the Mourne Gateway proposals, and in particular the proposed gondola and visitor centre.”
In March last year, the plans were revealed for the £44m Mourne Mountains Gateway Project, comprising a visitor centre at the Thomas Quarry site in the Mourne Mountains, and a gondola experience, which the council say, ‘will provide accessibility by allowing users to travel sustainably and efficiently from Donard Park to the visitor centre’.
In April of this year Newry Mourne and Down District Council appointed an integrated consultancy team (ICT), the global engineering consultancy Arup, to progress the £44 million scheme. A total of £30 million is being funded by the Belfast Regional City Deal, and the remaining £14 million by the local authority.
Previous council briefings indicated that a design team would be appointed later in 2023 and that planning approval would be in place by 2026.
It also projected that construction would be completed by the first quarter of 2029 and that the attraction would go into operation later that year.
The project’s business case estimates that it will create £5.7m in annual GVA (gross value added) by 2030, and that it would attract 365,000 visitors annually after its fifth year.