Seapark planning application for 'emergency accommodation'

The application is for eight portable buildings and for replacement garage accommodation at the Belfast Road site.

In June 2020, the PSNI had to temporarily close some of the accommodation in the Seapark complex due to health and safety concerns.

At the time, Mark McNaughten, Temporary Director of Finance and Support Services and Human Resources for the Police Service of Northern Ireland said: “Following a recent survey by structural engineers examining roofing across a number of ageing buildings on the site, a decision was taken to proactively close some areas within the Seapark Complex as a precautionary health and safety measure.”

Speaking at a meeting of the Policing Board the following month, the Chief Constable Simon Byrne said: “It just raises the spectre of how long do we make do and mend, in this case a building that it is over 50 years old with infrastructure that expired two decades ago. We are now trying to manage that in the short term.”

The Seapark complex includes several different functions including a murder archive, Forensic Services, transport service and equipment stores.

It is understood that the temporary buildings will be used for office space.

Commenting on the planning application, a PSNI spokesperson said: “In June 2020, the Police Service of Northern Ireland announced that some accommodation housed within the Seapark complex in Carrickfergus temporarily closed due to health and safety concerns.

"As a result of this, Forensics Northern Ireland staff will be relocated to eight portacabins and a garage within Seapark. ”