FORMER Ulster rugby player Simon Best has revealed plans to build a one million square foot business park on the outskirts of Newry.
His company Carnmeen Developments is behind plans for the Newry North Business Park which it is hoped will become a business campus serving Ireland, north and south.
If given the go ahead, it would be the largest business investment campus ever constructed in Ireland by the private sector.
The park would feature a mix of retail, office and industrial space and have enough capacity to support thousands of jobs.
Mr Best said the vision behind the park "is a strategic all island facility which draws on the advantages of Newry’s central position within the east coast corridor equidistant between Dublin and Belfast, and within a one hour catchment of three million people".
"Our plans include Grade A office space to accommodate research and development, business services, supply chain and distribution," he said.
"We want to work in partnership with the adjacent and recently developed Invest NI land reserve and to offer a competitive cross border opportunity for the co-location of front office activities with manufacturing and supply chain services.”
“This site will be carbon neutral, powered by on site renewable energy provision and connected to Newry city centre by direct road access from the A1 as well as cycle and greenway connections.
"Newry’s central position and proximity to both Belfast and Dublin presents a unique opportunity to encourage international investment in the area. We look forward to engaging with Newry and Mourne District Council and the local community with a view to making this vision a reality.”
The developers said they hoped a decision on the application, which has just been submitted to Newry and Mourne District Council, would be made within six months.
