A masterplan for the development of Downpatrick faces being shut down and replaced with a Newry focussed “talking shop”, a councillor is warning.
Invitations for the new Downpatrick Regeneration Working Group (DRWG) were due to be sent out this week ahead of its initial meeting at the end of the month.
The DRWG has already caused controversy at Newry, Mourne and Down District Council (NMDDC) after a proposal to allow Downpatrick MLAs to join was rejected.
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A vision for the county town had been developed as part of a £30,000 masterplan created at the old Down District Council over 10 years.
However, since the creation of Northern Ireland’s new super councils, the masterplan has been effectively shelved.
Councillor Cadogan Enright (Alliance) believes that “Newry centric bureaucrats” have created the DRWG in order to put plans for Downpatrick on hold, whilst Newry gains mutli-million pound developments of a new council HQ and public park.
He said: “There have been absolutely no members of the Downpatrick community invited on to the group.
“Now that is astonishing when you consider the likes of the residents association and the concerns of the Downe hospital, which brought 35,000 people on to the streets in demonstrations.
“The significant lack of cultural and community representation on the working group is staggering.
“We spent 10 years and £30k on a fantastic masterplan for Downpatrick and now, without any vote it has been shut down.
“The masterplan was led by Downpatrick elected representatives, voted in by the local electorate.
“We had already delivered on the St Patrick centre, the cinema, the technical college.
“We had 32 proposals left to develop including the infrastructure of the medieval streets of Downpatrick to develop, but we were stopped in our tracks.
“Instead now we have plans for a new council HQ in Newry, when most businesses are downsizing in the new era of home working and the helter skelter ride that is Albert Basin (public park).
“Whilst I am happy for Newry to gain development, I fear it is at the cost of Downpatrick by bureaucrats who are Newry centric following the merger of the old Down Council with Newry and Mourne.
“Downpatrick is the centre for tourism in the council area, yet it remains under developed and in fact we are seeing such things as the arts centre, the museum and the Downpatrick centre all being downgraded.
“The manner in which the masterplan, which had cross party support has been kicked out has me rattled.”
The first meeting of the DRWG is due on September 28, though Cllr Enright has yet to receive his invitation he is adamant that he will attend to voice his concerns.
He added: “I want to be able to go to this first meeting of the new group to have a blue sky look at things to see what we need to have done.
“However, there is a real danger that the new working group will just become a grand talking shop.
“The members have been selected by council officials and they are just friends of council so to speak.
“The reality is, if people don’t want things to happen then the matters can be put into a working group and it will gain delays of some three to four years and often not happen at all.”
The council has now revealed that it has not yet agreed a completed list of invited members to the new group, which is due to sit in less than two weeks.
A spokesperson said: “NMDDC is currently engaging with individuals and organisations to establish the Downpatrick Regeneration Working Group.
“While final names of members have still to be finalised, membership of the working group will encompass elected members, council officers, business and community representatives and other government departments such as the Department for Communities (DfC) and Department for Infrastructure (DfI) as outlined in the terms of reference for the group as tabled at enterprise, regeneration and tourism committee in August.
“Once the group has been established it is expected to meet at the end of September for an initial meeting.
“The aim of the group is to agree priorities for the regeneration of Downpatrick town centre and work up projects thereafter with lead partners.”
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