Newry Chamber of Commerce & Trade has welcomed the confirmation City Deal funding has been secured for the city and district.
Speaking following a meeting with Newry, Mourne and Down District Council Chief Executive, Marie Ward and Director of Economic Development, Conor Mallon on Monday, Edwina Flynn, Chamber President said:
“The Chamber met with Council Senior Management and have been assured that Belfast Region City Deal (BRCD) funding for the Newry, Mourne and Down projects has been secured.”
“When the announcement was made by the UK Govt on Friday evening the Chamber sought immediate clarification given that we were aware that the BRCD was already at an advanced stage with contracts awarded and ‘pausing’ it did not make economic sense.”
“Thankfully, we have received clarity and the deals that underpin the economic regeneration of our city and wider district continue at pace.”
“What did come from the UK Govt’s poor handling of this issue is a stark sense of how much this city and district could have lost. We are due to receive over £200m of the £1bn BRCD funding and if this had been lost then our city’s transformational projects including Newry City Park could have been significantly stalled or jeopardised.”
“We have written to the NI Secretary of State and will meet with him soon to express our disappointment at how this was all handled and we will work to ensure any short-term damage in investor confidence is repaired.”
“Newry Chamber firmly believes that we need to get on with delivering the regeneration schemes across the city and district including the Southern Relief Road and the Council-backed Newry Regeneration Schemes.”
“It is abundantly clear that money is scarce in the UK Treasury and will be for some years to come, so it is imperative we get on with maximising the opportunity that has been presented to the Greater Newry Area and transform our city.”
ENDS
CLANRYE NEWS 