Executive agrees appointments to Maze regeneration board

Delays and disagreement have overshadowed plans to transform the 360 acre site,

But following the completion of the necessary appointment and administrative procedures the identity of the new Chair and ten Board members will be published. The Board was established by the Strategic Investment and Regeneration of Sites (Maze/Long Kesh Development Corporation) Order (Northern Ireland) 2011.

And in a statement on Wednesday night ministers emphasised their commitment to develop the e site to maximise its potential and say they ‘look forward to working with the new Board to that end’.

In a joint statement, Peter Robinson and Martin McGuinness said: “We are pleased to be able to give some detail on a range of policy decisions that we have taken during the course of the last number of days.

“We have reached a series of wide-ranging agreements that will be to the benefit of people across the community and will deliver further progress in the autumn on the reform agenda we have set out as part of our Programme for Government commitments.”

Board members have been selected to oversee the development of the Maze site, where a conflict resolution centre is to be built. The Office of the First and Deputy First Minister said their identities would be revealed once appointment procedures had taken place.

Lagan Valley MP Jeffrey Donaldson welcomed the news but stressed the imporatance of work getting underway as soon as possible.

Mr Donaldson said is important that the site is “given proper attention now, once the board has convened”.

The MP said he had recently visited the site where work is already underway for the RUAS/Balmoral show.

He said he has spoken to the delivery unit about the peace building envisaged for the site and stressed that “sensitivities” regarding the retained buildings must considered and that “they aren’t turned into shrines for activities of terrorism.”

He said: “Dialogue is needed as well as respect and mutual understanding for a better future in Northern Ireland.

“This is a tremendous opportunity and will boost the construction industry where jobs are badly needed.”

He continued: “The local community who have lived in close proximity to one of the highest security sites in Europe must be “one of the key beneficiaries”.

“I am confident that local representaives will be on the board and I look forward to the names being announced soon.

“It is important work gets underway soon to attract perople to the Lagan Valley area,” he added.

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