Hopes that construction of Strule Campus begin later in year

CONSTRUCTION work on the new Strule Shared Education Campus in Omagh could begin later this year, following the announcement from the Stormont Executive that the ground-breaking project will now receive £150 million in funding.

Education Minister, Paul Givan, and Finance Minister, Caoimhe Archibald travelled to Omagh on Thursday to break the news. It followed an Executive meeting at which the decision was taken to reinstate the financial support committed under the Fresh Start Agreement of 2015.

Five schools – Omagh CBS, Loreto Grammar, Omagh Academy, Omagh High School and Sacred Heart College are due to re-locate to the expansive site which was the former Lisanelly Army Barracks and dates back to the 19th century.

Their principals held an online Zoom meeting with the two Ministers at which they were told that the funding was being provided.

Mr Givan said that the project is now ready to proceed, with the first step being the completion of a full business case. He added that the contract for the groundbreaking scheme would also require to be signed in the coming months.

“We have had a successful procurement exercise, there is a tender, and we need to get to the point now of entering into contractural obligations. I am hopeful that this will be done in early summer and we then need to get construction on site and we are hoping to get this done by the end of this year,” he said.

“We needed to identify a funding stream to complete the full business case which can now be concluded. The project will be delivered over three to four years and the capital spend will be delivered over that timespan.

“Construction will be able to commence and the funding of this will be delivered. We believe that this is very much a project that should be taken forward. Ultimately, politicians make decisions and this is a transformative shared project of international renown.

“It will be one of its kind and we all also learn from the shared educational experience from this project in the years ahead and that will help inform how to bring education forward. It will be educationally transformative, society will benefit, there will be huge economic opportunities and benefits.”

Mr Givan said that the good community relations within Omagh had given hope to the wider society as to how to deal with the past and look to the future.

“This will undoubtedly help community relations,” he said. “This is a hugely important project for us an Executive and Omagh will be an example in providing shared education.”

Finance Minister, Caoimhe Archibald, said the Strule Campus is also an example of achieving regional balance and investing in infrastructure west of the Bann.

“There are real opportunities here for learning from this. There are opportunities for the young people coming through these schools and they will have opportunities to work with each other while the schools will be able to share resources on-site,” she said.

“This will change the educational landscape both in Omagh and the wider community.

“This announcement is a strong example of how the Executive is working together to fund a development which will benefit our children and young people.

“It is an investment in our future and our young people and ensuring that their skills and talents are developed in a state of the art facility.

“Young people being educated together will enable them to be their best selves, benefitting our economy and community relations.”