Councillors claim: UUJ move ‘a blow to Carrick’

The proposals, which enter a consultation period next week, detail the relocation of a number of educational facilities to the Belfast campus, with future plans for the development of an urban village at the existing Jordanstown site.

Changes are expected to come into operation once the bulk of educational activity is relocated to Belfast in 2018, although the university has confirmed it will retain a ‘significant presence’ on the campus.

The specialist engineering research facility FireSERT and the Dalriada student village will be retained, with enhanced sporting facilities also in the works.

“The University is determined to ensure there is a positive legacy around the future development of the land we vacate and is proposing an urban village style residential development, with mixed use residential, commercial and retail development,” a UUJ spokesperson added.

However, a number of Councillors queried how the masterplan, presented by Pro-Vice Chancellor and Provost for Jordanstown Professor Alastair Adair at Monday night’s meeting of the Chief Executive’s Office, would benefit the Carrickfergus area in particular.

“These plans will result in an exodus out of East Antrim; how are we to maintain train services to the area if there are going to be reduced numbers of students going to Jordanstown?” said Cllr Jim McClurg after the meeting.

“I think this shows a lack of respect for the East Antrim area as these changes will not bring any benefit to the Carrickfergus borough; currently, there are a large number of people from Carrick and Greenisland who work at the campus, and they will now find their travel expenses and time more than doubled if they have to go to Belfast.

“The prospect of an urban village also reduces the student population who might otherwise have travelled to Carrick for recreational or social reasons.”

Cllr Andrew Wilson also questioned the potential for job creation at the site. “How many staff and students are there on the current university site compared to what is being proposed in the masterplan? As far as I am aware, there are some (cont’d 8) 13,000 students and just under 2,000 staff at present - I presume this will decrease,” he said.

“East Antrim also has the lowest number of public sector workers out of the 18 constituency areas and proposed moves for the workforce at UUJ will see even more jobs moving from our area and into Belfast.”

Responding to queries at the meeting, Prof Adair indicated the new village site for UUJ would accommodate around 1,000 students within the sports and engineering fields, with an increase in residential spaces for students.

Cllr Wilson also claimed to have received assurances that while some jobs would be relocated to Belfast, there were to be no redundancies as a result of the redevelopment.

“I believe that the masterplan for the University of Ulster represents a blow to our local economy through a loss of students and staff who would shop and live in our local area, and also through the movement of staff, many of whom live in Carrickfergus, from their place of work in Jordanstown to Belfast,” Cllr Wilson said.

The masterplan is to be formally launched on the Jordanstown campus on November 28 when members of the public can view the vision for the site.