Work on £45 million Fire Training Service to start in New Year

by Gráinne Connolly

Construction of a new £45 million Fire Training centre outside Cookstown is expected to begin next month, according to Mid Ulster MLA Michelle O'Neill. 

The Sinn Féin Party leader took to social media to share the news, after receiving a letter from the Department of Health confirming a start "before the end of January 2018". 

Letter received from Department of Health confirming construction to start on new fire service training centre at Desertcreat to start by end of January pic.twitter.com/vpGiGVPbES

— michelle oneill (@moneillsf) December 11, 2017

Initially, the site at Desertcreat, along the main Dungannon to Cookstown road had been earmarked for the NI Community Safety College which was to provide training for new police and fire services. 

However, the project was met with a number of delays since it was launched in 2004 and ended up being scrapped as it was resulting in too much of money. 

In September, a fresh plan from the NI Fire and Rescue Service received approval from the Mid Ulster District Council. 

In a statement, Michelle O'Neill welcomed the news that construction would commence in the New Year: 

"When I was Health Minister I was keen to ensure that this project progressed and became a reality. 

"This development will be good for Mid Ulster, for local business and potential jobs.

"It brings a major public service into the heart of this constituency and I believe will lead to further development of other public services and business in the Cookstown area and across Mid Ulster.

“Sinn Fein placed the Desertcreat project as a priority piece of work and it is good to see that this will start to take shape over the next period of time.

"This is the second significant public sector development in Mid Ulster in the past two years having already seen Rivers Agency relocated to the nearby Loughry Campus”.