Ex-military barracks accrues £400,000 in costs

SECURITY and maintenance costs at the historic St Lucia barracks in Omagh have topped £400,000 in just six years.

Figures released by the Infrastructure Minister, John O’Dowd, show that security at the unoccupied site totalled £269,251 from May 2016 until the end of September this year.

Maintenance costs for the site during the same period were £123,699.

Built in the 19th century, the distinctive stone building was a British military installation up until earlier this century. It was then transferred from the Ministry of Defence to the Stormont Executive in 2016.

Discussions on its possible future use have been continuing, but it is one of five buildings across the county which were recently designated as being ‘at risk’.

Mr O’Dowd released the figures following a Stormont question from Fermanagh and South Tyrone Ulster Unionist MLA, Tom Elliot.

Mr Elliot called for plans to develop the barracks to be brought forward “as a matter of urgency.”

“The site cannot be allowed to be another Stormont fiasco,” he added.

“The opportunities for St Lucia’s 15-acre site cannot be understated. The department must work to develop a coherent strategy that fulfills its full potential.”

Earlier this year, the Omagh Place-Shaping plan identified a number of possible uses for St Lucia.

These included visitor accommodation, high quality private residential development and the use of one building within the barracks as a heritage interpretation centre on Omagh’s history as a garrison town, an event space or the use of all or part of the buildings as an extension to the South West College.

Fermanagh and Omagh District is proposing to work with the Ministry of Defence and the Department for Communities in relation to the site.