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MORE than 100 additional employees will be based at one of Omagh’s most historic buildings if plans for a major refurbishment get the green light.
The Tyrone County Hall at the junction of Sedan Avenue and Mountjoy Road has been the administrative centre for public services for over 50 years.
Now the Department for Finance, which owns the building, has sought permission for the development. It hopes that the work will increase the capacity of the building and lead to almost 300 people being based there, compared to 174 at the moment.
The proposed refurbishment of the County Hall is aimed to reduce operational energy use through the building’s energy management system, more efficient plant, improvements to the fabric of the building, an increase of renewable energy supply. There is also an aim to achieve a Net Zero Verification.
The application consists of the proposed refurbishment of the existing offices to include new insulated cladding to external walls, a minor understorey extension to the entrance lobby, replacement windows and new solar panels on the roof.
Also in the pipeline are a replacement bike shed, a seven metre high flag pole, a battery storage kiosk and bin storage compound.
However, the finished floor levels of the existing buildings will not be altered.
“The refurbishment will enable an office workforce from a number of departments to be consolidated within this regional hub while enabling the building to comply with Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) regulations,” a planning statement for the development says.
At the moment, the office building in the centre of Omagh provides accommodation for staff from the Department for Infrastructure, Department for Agriculture and Rural Afairs, Department for Communities and the Health and Safety Executive.
Originally constructed in the early 1970s, the building has been the focus for numerous protests over the years during the visits of Government Ministers. One of the most famous was in 1985 when there were scuffles during a visit by the then Secretary of State, Tom King.
If the planning application is granted approval, it will add to the rejuvenation of the Mountjoy Road area of the town.
A new digital hub was opened there late last year, while Mullaghmore Bakery is expected to re-locate to the area following another major refurbishment project on a vacant factory.
