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Newry City Centre Strategic Development Framework March 2004 Description of Sites 1. Sugarhouse Quay Potentially one of the most attractive combination of streets in the northern part of the city centre, Sugarhouse Quay and Basin Quay are both currently occupied by traditional warehouse buildings. There has been some redevelopment at the corner of Sugarhouse Quay and Basin Quay which makes use of the existing building. This example could be continued along the rest of the street, again making use of the existing buildings. Current uses generate low traffic volumes and this should be maintained. Appropriate uses might include restaurants and bars, offices and some comparison retailing. 2. Coal Yard The former coal yard site is a key location at the northern end of the canal and riverside. Future development of the site should provide a visual link from the southern end of the central area. The site provides the opportunity to improve access from Bank Parade into the proposed canal redevelopment zone and should be occupied by a key building which could be linked to the arts centre providing an arts precinct. 4. Merchants Quay Car showrooms once again dominate this site which is shared with a single storey government building. Neither use contributes to the streetscape, which should be occupied by retail, café and other inner city commercial uses to help increase the vitality and vibrancy of the city. Height of the buildings is important on this site as they should relate to the height of the Canal Court Hotel. Again, any development here should tie in with the development of Opportunity Sites 2 and 3. 5. Corry’s Square/ Lower Catherine Street This site includes the land between Corry’s Square and Monaghan Street and fronting onto Lower Catherine Street and is made up of McClelland Park, a vacant site previously occupied by the police station and a building fronting Monaghan Street. McClelland Park is not well linked to any pedestrian through route and as such is not well used. This and the vacant police station site should be considered together. The site should be considered for office development around a courtyard parking or open space area. The development should front Lower Catherine Street as well as Corry’s Square and have a strong link directly through to Monaghan Street. 3. Lower Canal Street This is a key site, which comprises car showrooms and a forecourt on Merchants Quay and the lower part of Canal Street. The car showroom part of the site would be better used for office, restaurant and associated parking use with the opportunity to create a prominent corner site at the junction. Development of the site should echo any development of the coal yard site opposite. The lower part of Canal Street is a mix of derelict and run down properties in a street that otherwise has a lot of character. The area is soon to be subject of an environmental improvement scheme. 6. Cornmarket to Monaghan Street The area currently occupied by Dunnes, the Health Village and various other retail warehousing type uses has the appearance of having developed in an ad hoc manner. The lack of building frontage onto Monaghan Street detracts from the streetscape and contributes to the run down appearance of the street. Redevelopment of the site should include buildings fronting Monaghan Street. The Health Village has been developed on a site that is bounded by the backs of uses on both sides and as a result it does not fit neatly with the surrounding uses. It may be better developed as part of the College with a link through from Patrick Street. Part of the site abuts Merchants Quay and the uses effectively provide a blank frontage onto Merchants Quay. Merchants Quay needs strong frontage and as part of the suggested Canal Redevelopment Zone should be developed into 4 to 5 storey buildings for residential, office, restaurant and retail use. Such buildings may be double fronted. The overall site should also be the main focus for parking in this part of the city centre, so any redevelopment should involve underground or multi-storey car parking. Ferguson McIlveen in association with Mentor and Scott Wilson Page No. 20
Newry City Centre Strategic Development Framework March 2004 7. Central Canalside Redevelopment Zone While this has been identified as an opportunity site, it differs from the other sites in that it is not recommended that significant built development take place here. Instead, the opportunity should be grasped to remove the cars and the bus depot and create a pedestrian and cycling friendly space. That is not to say that one or two major buildings would be unsuitable. Such buildings should be “space defining buildings”, which create a civic space around them which may be suitable for events. The central area is the key to all future development in Newry city centre and it should be regarded as the central open space focus for the high density inner urban commercial development that will surround it. 10. North Street Flats The important strong frontage that is defined by the buildings on Trevor Hill should be continued along North Street frontage of this site. The site would be suitable for redevelopment for office and leisure/ entertainment use. Car parking should be a major part of the redevelopment in line with providing alternative car parking to Hill Street. It will be very important to establish good links to the primary retail core from the site. Any redevelopment would need to consider a link across the narrow part of Abbey Way directly into Margaret Street. This is an important axis through the city centre, which links to Monaghan Street. The main entrance to any future use of this site should be located here to provide a visual linkage from Monaghan Street. 8. St Marys Street The buildings on the street are currently a barrier to any linkage from Buttercrane to the market. Redevelopment of the street should involve the construction of 3 storey buildings for residential use with ground floor retail. A link from the main access to the Buttercrane across the river and canal and connecting with the market and St Marys church should be promoted in conjunction with any redevelopment of this site. There may also be an opportunity to provide public access along the rear of these buildings 9. Water Street/ Lower Water Street This site includes land to the rear of Supervalu and the Cathedral and is also bound by Abbey Way. It is a back land site with a mix of flats development and a poorly laid out car park. This would be suitable location for a bus station which could be developed underneath a comprehensive development site that might include retailing, leisure and office uses. As with the North Street redevelopment, multi-storey car parking should be taken into consideration. Access to and views of the Cathedral would also need to be considered in any redevelopment scheme and a precinct set around the Cathedral to protect its setting. 11. Abbey Playing Fields The development of Lidl, the proposed development around the Bagnals Castle site and the possible move of the Abbey Primary School has resulted in this site being considered as a possible opportunity site within the context of the city centre. In order to protect the retail importance of Hill Street and Monaghan Street, it is recommended that a policy be applied to this site restricting retail development. The development of the site should be in conjunction with the plans for Bagnals Castle. It would be suitable for office, leisure and car parking with some residential. Access to the site is rather restricted and should be via the Bagnals Castle site so as to prevent any further congestion on Courtney Hill. Land to the north of the Grammar School should be retained for open space/park. 12. Health Centre Bounded by St Marys Street, John Mitchell Place and William Street, this site occupies a prominent gateway into the city centre, but its current use does not function as such. It will form an important physical and visual link from the Quays and any future Albert Basin development directly into the southern end of the primary retail core. Any future use on this site should act as a “reception” building providing an attraction that will draw people into the primary retail core from the major uses around the Quays and Albert Basin. It may be appropriate to develop part of the site as a plaza tying in with the setting of the church to the north. Ferguson McIlveen in association with Mentor and Scott Wilson Page No. 21
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Newry and Mourne District Council

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