Louth County Council will issue a new business case for the Narrow Water Bridge before the end of September according to Newry and Mourne’s director of administration Eddy Curtis. Speaking at Monday night’s Monthly Meeting (September 2) Mr Curtis also said that the East Border Region group is contacting the Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister (OFMdFM) in relation to the availability of funding for the project. “We are awaiting the business case from Louth,” he said. “It will be completed before the end of September. It was agreed at the MOU meeting (Louth/ Newry committee) that the East Border Region will contact OFMdFM) and we are awaiting a response on that. A risk report is also coming from (Council Solicitor) Mr McShane.” Mr Curtis’ comments followed the ratification of a report in which the council agreed in principle to: “Make a financial contribution to the development of the proposed Narrow Water Bridge after exhausting all avenues of external funding and undertaking an examination of the potential risks to the council. It was also agreed that a legal agreement would be drawn up stating that Newry and Mourne District Council’s contribution would be a one-off payment and that Louth County Council would be responsible for any additional expenditure.” Should the Louth business case add up and should other cocktail funding fall into place then Newry and Mourne’s financial contribution is expected to be in the region of 1.7m Euro.
Newry Reporter
4th September 2013
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