Plans for a £17 million Council headquarters in Newry are “doomed” after officials paid the wrong planning application fee, it has been claimed.
A planning consultant says an £8,000 “shortfall” in the money paid by Newry, Mourne and Down District Council for the application for the controversial civic centre means the application is “finished”.
Plans for the new HQ have been dogged by controversy with more than 2,500 parishioners at the nearby Cathedral signing a petition opposing the building amid claims it will leave them no where to park during Mass.
The application was expected to go before the planning committee this month (May 28) but to date it does not appear on the agenda.
However, a new special planning date of May 30 was added this week for the civic centre following a media query.
In a letter sent to NMDDC, and seen by the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS), agent for Newry Parish, Andy Stephens (Matrix Planning Consultancy) writes: “I’m somewhat surprised that the civic centre hasn’t featured at 28th May, planning committee. However, I note the planning fee paid on 17th March 2023, was £21,856, for 5,680sqm of proposed floorspace for the civic centre.
“Whilst there have been several uplifts in fees, at the date of the application (17th March 2023), the Planning (Fees) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2015, were in force until 6th April 2023.
“The total fee payable for this application is £29,968 based on 5,680sqm. The fee paid as per the receipt is £21,856. This creates a fee shortfall of £8,112 from when the application was submitted on 17th March 2023.”
NMDDC has previously referred to a parking survey (2023) of the Abbey Way site and has amended its HQ plans to provide 138 car park spaces at the site, which it says is above the maximum occupancy rates of mass-goers recorded.
The civic centre had been recommended for approval at a planning meeting on April 30 during a special committee to hear final arguments.
Though following a submission by Matrix, planning chairperson, Declan Murphy (SF) took a vote and deferred the decision to seek legal advice relating to whether the application had been submitted as a ‘local’ or ‘major’ plan requiring a timely public consultation.
The latest objection from Newry Parish deals with the amount of money that must be paid by an applicant based on the size of floorspace. A potential calculation error, that Matrix alleges has left the council’s application invalid.
Mr Stephens added: “For the avoidance of any doubt, this application is finished, as there is no valid application, and as such there can be no valid and lawful decision. I will take further instructions from my clients, but I would state the actions of the council amount to a rearranging of the deck chairs on the Titanic – the course is set and you are doomed for failure.”
The LDRS contacted NMDDC to respond to the allegations made by Matrix on behalf of Newry Cathedral Parish.
A NMDDC spokesperson said: “This media enquiry relates to a live planning application currently under consideration by Newry, Mourne and Down District Council’s planning department.
“The council has therefore no further comment to make on matters due to be addressed through the formal planning process.”
