BY MARK MCKELVEY
THE £130m new policing college to be built at a site in Cookstown, may have been given the go ahead after Secretary of State, Peter Hain proposed a full funding package.
Mr Hain's proposal, which still needs Treasury approval, means police officers, fire-fighters and prison officers will train on the same site. Until now, each service had wanted to build its own training centre.
Announcing details of the new college, Mr Hain said, "A new state of the art integrated college, catering for the training needs of the PSNI, the Northern Ireland Fire Service and Northern Ireland Prison Service, will be built on the Desertcreat site at Cookstown.
OPPORTUNITY
"This is an exciting opportunity which fulfils a key Patten recommendation. The new facility will provide excellent training facilities to meet the specialist needs of each of the organisations and provide new opportunities for joint training.
"This is an innovative proposal – the first of its kind in the UK - which has only been possible because of the fresh thinking of those involved.
"Of paramount importance will be the ability of the new college to deliver quality training, and I believe that this integrated approach is the best way to achieve this."
Deputy Chief Constable Paul Leighton has welcomed the fact that the Patten vision in respect of policing training is on course to be delivered with the building of a new Police College.
"I am delighted that a way forward in respect of the police college has now been agreed and I welcome the Secretary of State's announcement that, in what will be a first in the UK, Northern Ireland will combine its police, prison service and fire and rescue training in a purpose-built college at Desertcreat, outside Cookstown," stated Mr Leighton.
"This is an important development and means that the training facilities that are so badly needed will now be delivered."
WELCOME
SDLP Mid-Ulster MLA Patsy McGlone also welcomed Mr Hain's announcement.
"It seems the government has finally come up with the last £40 million needed to make the Cookstown project a reality," said Mr McGlone.
"While a joint training facility with the fire service and prison service was not the original intention of the Policing Board, the really important thing is to have done with uncertainty around the whole project.
OVERDUE
"The reality is that this announcement that the college will go ahead is long overdue.
"I led a debate in the transitional Assembly on the need to push ahead with the Cookstown project and there was strong support from all the parties then engaged with policing.
"The college is obviously vital in ensuring world-class training of a fully professional police service, but it is also very important for the whole Cookstown area in terms of revitalising local business and not least the construction industry."
