Further concern over St Lucia disposal

ONGOING plans to sell the historic St Lucia Barracks to the highest bidder have been greeted with further concern by councillors on Fermanagh and Omagh District Council.

It follows a letter from Infrastructure Minister, Liz Kimmins, to the council confirming to them her intention to put the large site in Omagh up for disposal. This decision came despite a request from the council to ‘slow down’ the decision-making process.

In the letter, the Minister said that the site boundaries for what is being sold had now been agreed. She added that the next stage in the process would be in line with the usual practice for the disposal of surplus public sector lands.

This means that there will initially be a trawl among the utilities and statutory authorities to determine if there are any requirements for them, prior to a wider exercise among all public sector bodies.

“When all legal issues have been completed, the Land and Property Services Central Advistory Unit will trawl the site across all public bodies,” the Minister added.

“It is at this point that Fermanagh and Omagh District Council will have to formally record any interest through an Expression of Interest questionnaire.”

However, the decision not to ‘slow down’ the process has been greeted with dismay by local councillors.

Alliance councillor, Stephen Donnelly, said the current circumstances were ‘not ideal’. He added he hoped that they would have been in a better position to see the steps in place for the development of the site in the future.

Independent councillor, Dr Josephine Deehan, said the proposed disposal was of ‘significant concern’.

“I believe that the disposal will impact us very significantly in regard to the future of the town and district,” she said.

Ulster Unionist councillor, John McClaughrey, said that the move to dispose is disappointing especially considering that the previous minister had given the council assurances.

“We now have to work with what we have got, even if it is not satisfactory,” he added.

The council agreed to take up the Minister’s offer of a meeting on the issue.