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Subject: Newry, Mourne & Down District Councillors – Strangford Lough Crossing – Seeking Your Support Ahead of Upcoming Debate

(Direct email sent to each and every Newry Councillor)

Dear Councillor,

I hope this email finds you well. I am writing ahead of the upcoming debate on the proposed Strangford Lough Crossing (SLC) to respectfully seek your support for this strategically vital infrastructure project, and to set out the compelling economic, social, and environmental case for why it matters to Newry, Mourne and Down District and the wider region.

The Current Situation Is Unsustainable

The existing Strangford–Portaferry ferry service operates at just 34% of its maximum capacity, yet costs taxpayers £3.52 million per year to run against fare income of only £1.43 million — a cost recovery rate of just 41%. Ferry fares have continued to rise, with further increases implemented in February 2026, placing additional burden on local residents and businesses who depend on cross-lough access. Over any reasonable planning horizon, the status quo is neither financially nor environmentally defensible.

Climate Change Legislation — A Legal Imperative

The Climate Change Act (Northern Ireland) 2022 places a legally binding obligation on all public bodies — including councils — to contribute to the achievement of net zero carbon emissions by 2050, with an interim target of a 48% reduction by 2030. This is not aspirational guidance; it is law. Every decision taken by this council on infrastructure, transport, and land use must now be assessed against its contribution to these statutory targets.

The SLC directly supports compliance with this legislation. A fixed crossing would:

• Eliminate thousands of unnecessary kilometres of road detour — currently 75 km and up to 90 minutes when the ferry is unavailable — dramatically reducing vehicle emissions across the east Down corridor
• Enable active travel through dedicated walk and cycle provision on the crossing, supporting modal shift away from private car dependency
• Replace a diesel-powered ferry with a zero-emission fixed infrastructure asset designed for a 120-year life, consistent with long-term decarbonisation objectives
• Unlock sustainable development patterns by improving access to employment, services, and public transport nodes without generating the sprawling, car-dependent growth that characterises poorly connected rural areas
• Support a just transition by connecting lower-wage, more deprived communities to wider economic opportunity — a principle embedded in Northern Ireland’s climate justice framework

Councils that vote against infrastructure enabling active travel, emission reduction, and sustainable connectivity will find it increasingly difficult to reconcile that position with their statutory climate obligations.

The Narrow Water Bridge — and a New Choke Point in the Making

The long-awaited Narrow Water Bridge, connecting Omeath in County Louth to Warrenpoint in your district, is a transformational cross-border infrastructure investment that will open up new travel patterns across the southern sub-region. However, its very success carries an unintended consequence that demands forward planning: travellers heading northward along the Down coast toward the Ards and beyond will arrive at Strangford — and find themselves confronted with a costly, infrequent, and capacity-limited ferry crossing.

In short, the Narrow Water Bridge will create the very traffic demand that exposes Strangford as a critical choke point on the emerging north–south east coast corridor. Travellers that cross seamlessly at Narrow Water will face frustrating delay, diversion, or cost at Strangford.

Without a fixed crossing, the network benefits of Narrow Water will be significantly diluted — and the tourism and economic potential of the whole eastern seaboard corridor from Carlingford to Belfast will remain unrealised. The two crossings are complementary and strategic. Delivering Narrow Water without planning for Strangford is to complete half a journey.

The Economic Case

Independent professional cost analysis places the capital cost of a fixed crossing at £300–350 million in 2025 prices — and with potential Irish Government co-funding, the net cost to the Northern Ireland block could be substantially reduced. Using Department for Transport, Transport Appraisal Guidance (TAG) methodology, the Benefit-Cost Ratio is assessed at 2.5 to 3.5 — firmly within the UK Government’s “High Value for Money” band. The economic benefits are wide-ranging:

• £3.2–4.1 billion in economic value projected over 30 years
• 7,500–18,000 jobs created or unlocked across the wider sub-region
• Wider benefits of £200–350 million over 50 years from unlocked housing, employment access, business investment, and tourism growth

Direct Benefits for Newry, Mourne and Down

Tourism is already the engine of your district’s economy — worth £47.7 million annually and supporting nearly 5,000 jobs, with visitor spend growing by 74% between 2015 and 2019. A fixed crossing at Strangford would dramatically expand the tourism circuit connecting the Mournes, the south Down coast, the Lecale Peninsula, and the Ards — drawing more travellers into a continuous, seamless visitor experience. The Narrow Water Bridge will bring more travellers to your district’s doorstep; the SLC ensures they can continue their journey northward without obstruction.

Beyond tourism, your district’s businesses and workforce would gain faster, more reliable access to markets and employment across the Lough — addressing regional inequality that has persisted for decades.

A Generational Decision

The crossing would deliver 24/7, all-weather access with an 8-minute crossing time, walk and cycle provision, a 4,000+ vehicles per day capacity, and a 120-year design life. Sinn Féin MP Chris Hazzard has already written to Infrastructure Minister Liz Kimmins calling for a feasibility study, citing the crossing’s potential to drive economic and social development. The political momentum is building across the spectrum.

The immediate ask is straightforward: support the call for a full feasibility study. This is not a commitment to build — it is a commitment to make an evidence-based decision consistent with your statutory climate obligations and the long-term interests of your constituents. That is the very least our communities deserve.

I would be very glad to provide any further briefing material or technical information that would assist you ahead of the debate. Please do not hesitate to contact me.

Thank you sincerely for your time and continued public service.

Yours sincerely,

Kevin Barry BSc(Hons) MRICS
Advocate for www.strangfordloughcrossing.org