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To: Councillors of Newry, Mourne and Down District Council
Time for Change: We Demand Accountability in NMDDC
We, the residents and ratepayers of Newry, Mourne and Down, call upon our councillors to withdraw their support for the current council leadership and initiate comprehensive governance reform. This demand is based on repeated failures that have cost taxpayers millions of pounds and severely damaged trust in local government.
Why is this important?
Under the current leadership team, our council has presided over a series of costly failures that demonstrate fundamental governance breakdown:
The Mourne Gateway Project
The Mourne Gateway Project
- Initial proposal for Slieve Donard rejected by National Trust due to environmental concerns and failure to properly engage with public
- Announcement of intention to relocate project to Kilbroney Forest Park made without public consultation or formal approval from elected representatives
- Repetition of fundamental governance errors; e.g., failing to obtain landowner permission before making public announcements or committing budgets
- Wasting at least £1.35m on failed attempts, and putting £30m of funding from Belfast Region City Deal at risk
Newry and Downpatrick Flood Response
- Inadequate preparation despite known flood risks
- Delayed and insufficient emergency response to affected residents and businesses
- Failure to distribute financial support to flood victims
- No evidence of lessons learned or improved emergency protocols
Newry Civic Hub
- Ongoing cost overruns beyond initial budgets
- Submission of incorrect planning applications by the Council as planning authority
- Use of confidential legal advice to bypass public scrutiny
- Inability to demonstrate value-for-money or explain site selection process
- Repeated dismissal of public concerns, including over 2,600 letters of objection
Warrenpoint Port
- Multi-year failure to address documented public health nuisance
- Inability to enforce existing environmental regulations
- Ongoing impact on residents' quality of life without resolution
These project failures are not isolated incidents but evidence of systemic problems within our council, namely:
- Lack of Transparency: Routine use of "confidential" designations to avoid public accountability
- Inadequate or Non-Existent Community Engagement: Major decisions announced without meaningful consultation or recognition of ratepayers’ needs
- Poor Financial Management: Millions squandered on unviable projects without adequate due diligence
- Disregard for Expert Advice: Proceeding with projects despite widely documented environmental, technical and governance concerns
The current council leadership has demonstrably failed in their duty to manage public resources responsibly and serve community interests. We therefore call upon the councillors of Newry, Mourne and Down to:
- Pass a vote of no confidence in the council leadership
- Establish an independent investigation into council governance failures, with the final report being made available to the public
- Implement urgent transparency measures to prevent future abuse of confidential procedures
The time for excuses has passed. We demand action now.
