£130m training college plan at Desertcreat in Cookstown ‘scrapped’

According to the BBC - the departments of justice and health have accepted a recommendation they should go back to the drawing board.

The report also states “This is as the joint college plan is no longer economically viable. The Treasury has also said that nearly £80m of special funding may no longer be available.”

Read the BBC report here... Desertcreat college: Further setback for County Tyrone siteLast month a delegation from Cookstown travelled to Stormont seeking assurances over the project, which was first announced in 2004 and was supposed to have been completed by 2008.

After meeting the First Minister Peter Robinson and Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness on the steps of Parliament Buildings, the delegation held a private discussion with Justice Minister David Ford.

Video: Cookstown takes Desertcreat college campaign to StormontIn November last year, Mr Ford said a ‘stock-taking’ exercise was being held to re-assess the training needs of the police, prison and fire services, and to re-evaluate the project.

The BBC reports goes on to say: “It is understood Justice Minister David Ford and Health Minister Jim Wells have accepted the programme board’s recommendation that all work on the project should stop, and that they should go back to the drawing board.