NI Police College proposal gains planning approval

The Northern Ireland police training college proposal for a site at Desertcreat near Cookstown has received the go-ahead from planners.

The state-of-the-art training facility is due to open in 2007 and will replace a number of establishments throughout the province.

Policing Board Chairman Professor Sir Desmond Rea welcomed the announcement that planning permission has been granted for the college.

He said: “The PSNI and the Policing Board are now one important step closer to putting a new police college in place, at Desertcreat, adjacent to Cookstown. The facility, once built, will be a real improvement on existing training facilities available to PSNI and will provide the infrastructure for development and training excellence.”

“The Patten Commission recognised the central importance that training plays in the delivery of an effective police service to the whole community. The Policing Board works closely with the PSNI, and supports them towards the end of effective and efficient policing. The Board also holds the Chief Constable closely to account for the delivery of the PSNI Training, Education & Development Strategy – and there have been real achievements, such as the training of all officers on the new Code of Ethics, which puts Human Rights at the centre of policing practice. The new policing college will improve training yet further.”

The facilities at the 230-acre purpose-built College will include teaching facilities and accommodation for students. The site will also boast urban and rural "training villages" which will be used to simulate various public order and policing situations in a controlled environment.

Environment Minister Jeff Rooker said: "This approval will allow the PSNI to develop a single modern training facility to replace older facilities throughout Northern Ireland and is essential to their long-term training needs.

"In addition, it will represent a major investment in Cookstown, and indeed, the whole mid Ulster area."

The area of the site within the Green Belt is to be retained for agricultural use, but will also be used for occasional rural training purposes.

There was one objection to the proposal in relation to amenity, noise, and nature conservation issues, according to the NIO the objection was "fully considered and properly addressed".

Cookstown District Council has broadly welcomed the proposal on the grounds that the College represents a major investment and would benefit the area.

(SP/GB)