Bangor's Derelict Young Offenders Centre To Be Demolished

The demolition of a derelict former young offenders centre in Bangor got underway on Monday.

Known locally as Rathgael, and long regarded as the town’s biggest eyesore, North Down Council ordered the company responsible for the land to address the dilapidated condition of the buildings.

The government sold the land to a private developer in 2007 for a reported £65m, but plans for 850 new homes collapsed with the property crash.

An outstanding loan on the site was later transferred to the Irish Government's National Asset Management Agency (NAMA).

Local DUP MLA Peter Weir said the move should be welcomed.

"I think it will come as a great relief to local residents, as we have seen this site really become just a dumping ground and as a magnet for anti-social behaviour," he said.

Adding: "I think the situation here has been hampered by some of the problems with ownership, and the fact this has been private land - it's not been government land for the past five years and that has meant that the Department of Justice have had a very limited role to play," Mr Weir said.

Fencing has been erected to secure the site and the clear-up is due to be completed in the next three months.

(H)