£6.7m  boost for Drumragh College

A MAJOR new £6.7m expansion at Drumragh Integrated College has taken a significant step forward with the announcement that work will begin next year.

Design work for the major project began within the past few weeks. It is now hoped that construction will start in the summer or autumn of 2023.

Among the additional facilities involved in the development are a multi-purpose hall for PE, a fitness suite, technology room, four new classrooms, and Special Educational Needs accommodation.

Drumragh Integrated’s principal, Mrs Imelda Kirk, has hailed the approval, and says the work will ‘maximise the facilities’ for a ‘growing student community’.

“This project will further secure Drumragh Integrated College as a leading school in the Omagh area, offering modern, state-of-the-art facilities and a student-centred curriculum meeting the ever-changing needs of our young people,” she said.

“The business case for this project has been approved by the Department of Education and a Consultant Team appointed. The planning and design work for the new accommodation is well underway.

“This significant programme of expansion will facilitate the continued growth of integrated education in Omagh.”

Education Minister, Michelle Mcllveen, confirmed in Stormont this week that the project would be going ahead.

In addition, the surface of the current synthetic sports pitch is being upgraded and work undertaken to improve car park provision and traffic management on the Crevenagh Road site.

West Tyrone MLA, Daniel McCrossan, said he hoped the welcome news would go some way towards updating the school estate.

“This extension will be of huge benefit to pupils and teachers while it’s also welcome that the synthetic pitch will be resurfaced and there will also be safety improvements made to the car park,” he said.

“I hope that this announcement will go some way in securing the longer-term future of the schools and that so many teachers and pupils can benefit.”

In November 2018, Drumragh Integrated was included in a list of school projects as being suitable for Fresh Start Agreement Funding.

The current enrolment number is 695 and a timescale for completion of the project has yet to be confirmed by the Department for Education.

Confirmation of the new development comes after a long-running campaign lasting over a decade to secure a new expansion. Six years ago, the then Education Minister, John O’Dowd, had rejected plans for an expansion, prompting shock and disappointment within the school.

Enrolment at Drumragh Integrated has continued to rise in recent years, and it is expected that the new plans will enable them to facilitate continued growth.