Workers Party Rep Nicola Grant Calls for Scrapping of proposed Newry Civic Centre
26th August 2025
Workers Party Newry and Armagh representative Nicola Grant is once again urging Newry, Mourne and Down District Council to abandon its plans for a new Civic Centre. Citing the council's substantial debt of over £68.2 million, Grant argues that moving forward with what she calls a "vanity project" would not be financially responsible.
Newry and Mourne is the only council in Northern Ireland to have seen its debt increase over the past year. In the 2023/24 fiscal year, the council had to propose £11.6 million in savings, which amounted to 17.2% of its net budget. This led to serious concerns from trade unions about potential cuts to staff and services for ratepayers.
Despite these significant financial pressures, Grant notes the council continues to invest in major capital projects that, in her view, don't directly benefit local residents.
She points out that ratepayers are once again facing increased rates, even though the council has justified these increases by claiming they are needed to balance service provision with financial efficiency and manage debt responsibly.
Grant states that a promised park for the Newry community is notably absent from the council's list of capital projects. According to Grant, this park would benefit the entire community, unlike the proposed Civic Centre, which she says is neither wanted nor needed. Ratepayers, she concludes, are not impressed by the council's claims of fiscal responsibility while it refuses to scrap a project they view as a "white elephant."