Email NMDCC Councillors: Scrap the Gondola Project

<div>I ask you as a councillor to do everything in your power to end the gondola project now.</div><div> </div><div>It is clear that a gondola to a visitors centre in Thomas's Mountain quarry should not be built. Enormous damage would be done to the quarry and to the mountain slopes around and above it. Donard Park and the forest trails would be industrialised with the noise and disturbance of the bottom station, pylons, cables and gondola cars. Construction, maintenance and service vehicles would spoil the peace and quiet of the forest. Magnificent old trees around the Glen River would be cleared.  The famous view of the Mournes landscape would be spoiled.</div><div> </div><div>Over 6,600 people have <a id="m_-7144431471996555610OWA48e44788-3058-cf04-f82a-c5f2ec1f9891" href="https://my.actnowni.org/petitions/stop-the-mourne-mountains-gondola-project" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://my.actnowni.org/petitions/stop-the-mourne-mountains-gondola-project&source=gmail&ust=1744707563317000&usg=AOvVaw2pgdrR15EKkgIgmSb7NRfy">signed this petition</a>. It is clear that the public are against the gondola. The National Trust is a conservation organisation and is highly unlikely agree to a project that does so much environmental harm to the land it owns and manages. Planning permission is a major hurdle for construction in a Special Area Of Conservation, an Area Of Special Scientific Interest, a Geopark and an Area Of Outstanding Natural Beauty.</div><div> </div><div>Unrealistic projected visitor numbers and spiralling costs risk a huge burden to ratepayers and council service users. Traffic and parking problems that would be much worse than at present. The business would fail if there was insufficient income to sustain the operation. Ratepayers would suffer with the costs of a difficult construction project like this and with its unsustainable operating and maintenance costs. <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cp34y59ywgxo">The Gobbins Cliff Path</a>, for example, has cost millions of pounds for repairs and maintenance and has been closed nearly as many days as it has open in the past decade. In the event of the Gondola failing, there would be the removal costs too.</div><div> </div><div><strong>As a sitting councillor on NMDDC, I ask you to use your power to scrap this deeply unpopular and costly project. </strong>There are alternatives to the gondola project that can improve access to the Mournes without causing irreversible damage to the mountains and wildlife.<strong> </strong>At a time of climate and biodiversity crisis, this is clearly the wrong project. A public survey, over a year ago, found that 78% of local people were opposed to the project - this figure is almost certainly even higher now. These are the views of your constituents - please make sure you properly represent them and stop this project. There are much better, cheaper and more sustainable alternatives available.</div><div> </div><div>Please reply to my request as soon as possible. </div>

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Email NMDDC Councillors: Scrap the Gondola Project