National Trust insist project cannot go ahead

The National Trust has said it will not lease land it manages in the Mourne Mountains for the development of a cable car up Slieve Donard, Northern Ireland’s highest mountain.

The proposed £44m project would have involved the development of a 1km cable car structure from Donard Park up to a disused quarry.

But the National Trust have said the project should not go ahead in light of the “fragile and threatened” state of the Mourne landscape.

In a statement, they said their responsibility is to “restore nature in the Mournes, whilst balancing safe and sustainable access for people”.

Last month, there were almost 150 wildfires causing a devastating impact on habitats in the mountain range.

The National Trust is responsible for the land in the Eastern Mournes Special Area of Conservation including Slieve Donard and Thomas Quarry – the site earmarked for the proposed gondola station and visitor centre.

In a statement on Thursday, the Trust confirmed that the proposed project would “risk placing additional pressures on already degraded upland habitats”.

It would therefore “not be considering a lease at Thomas’s Quarry”.

It said that it has engaged with Newry, Mourne and Down District Council on the projects proposals but have “consistently expressed our serious concerns” as far back as eight years ago and “encouraged other options to be considered”.

“We have never endorsed the project and have not been a partner in its development,” it added.

The Trust said their concerns about the upland habitats not being in a “favourable condition” are shared by local people.

Last year, a petition of about 6,000 signatures opposing the Newcastle project was presented to the Stormont Assembly.

It was allocated £30m of funding from the Belfast Region City Deal.

Those behind the petition said they have environmental and economic concerns about the viability of the scheme that hopes to attract about 350,000 annual visitors.

There was also a number businesspeople who supported the project as they believed it would help create a year-round tourist economy for the region.