By Ryan Sands
A Rowallane councillor has said that Shrigley residents are celebrating the news that their village green will no longer be sold off by Newry, Mourne and Down District Council. On Monday, the local authority endorsed a recommendation from the Strategy, Policy and Resources (SPR) Committee, made in closed session in December, that it would no longer progress with the disposal of the land.
In a statement, DUP councillor Callum Bowsie, who had voiced his opposition to the proposal within the committee, said it was a cause for celebration that “the council’s plan to sell off this vital community space in Shrigley has finally been scrapped.” He pointed out that the land was first identified as “surplus to requirements” by the council in 2020.
“It is hard to believe that a village green would be placed on a ‘surplus assets’ list and disposed of without any community consultation,” the local representative said. “This one-acre grass area is used for recreation throughout the year, such as the recent ‘Shrigley 200’ festival marking the village’s bicentenary. The area also has historical importance, as it is where the old Shrigley village once stood until 1970, with much of its rubble still buried beneath the grass.”
Cllr Bowsie added that when he joined the SPR Committee in 2024, he was “horrified” to see the land listed as surplus and already in the process of being disposed of. “When I spoke up and opposed this, I was labelled ‘difficult’ by other parties and voted down,” he said.
“Unsurprisingly, I had the full support of Shrigley Community Group and, along with Michelle McIlveen MLA, met with council management to highlight the importance of this public green to the people of Shrigley. There is also a deed of covenant stating the land must be retained as an open recreational space, which would have limited any revenue raised by the council anyway.
“Even if a well-intentioned body bought the land and allowed public use, there was no guarantee that person or organisation would have the resources or interest in five, 10 or 20 years’ time to maintain the space and accept any liabilities that may arise. Why would residents agree to replace a secure council maintenance schedule with an unknown arrangement by a private, unaccountable body?”
The Rowallane representative said he had argued that the council’s plans were “not thought through” and that the modest four-figure annual cost to maintain Shrigley’s only public green was money well spent in promoting community cohesion and health.
“Credit must go to Shrigley Community Group, who made it clear that ‘Shrigley’s green is not for sale’,” he concluded. “I am pleased that other political parties have eventually supported me in objecting to these plans. It’s a small win, but there is still a lot to do in Shrigley to improve community facilities in this once-thriving village.
“I would like to thank council staff and other political parties for later working with me on this and supporting my proposal for the council to retain this cherished green space. Thanks also go to local residents Kathleen Stockton, Amy Breen, and Chris and Michelle Hagan for their invaluable support in this campaign.”
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