Ritchie presses on military sites and visits flooded areas

Social Development Minister Margaret Ritchie MLA visited Omagh today to explore the potential of transferring military sites to civilian use.

She also took time to visit some of the areas affected by yesterday’s flooding and sympathised with the people there.

The Minister argued that military sites should be passed to the Northern Ireland administration for free as part of a peace dividend, as was done when last there was devolution.

A key part of her visit was a tour of two large and now redundant military sites – Lisanelly and St Lucia. During her tour of the sites, she was able to gauge, at first hand, the regeneration potential of the sites and the possible impact which the re-development could make on the life and prosperity of Omagh. Minister Ritchie commented:

“Across the North there are redundant military sites. Once they dominated our towns and cities. Now with more peaceful times they could be used to regenerate them.

“I was hugely impressed by the obvious potential of the military sites in Omagh. My department is working urgently with other key stakeholders to map out a new future for them.

“But here and across the North our work would be helped if we did not have to buy the sites at open market value – which has soared in recent years. When last we had devolution, military sites were transferred to the Executive for free under the Reinvestment and Reform Initiative. This was a fitting peace dividend for town and cities that had suffered most during the long decades of the Troubles.

“I believe that the same should be happening again now and am pursuing this with my ministerial colleagues. Because with the sites transferred for free there would be even more than we could do to regenerate them for the benefit of everybody in the community.”

Following her visit to Lisanelly and St Lucia, she met members of the Omagh 2010 Task Force which was established after the bomb atrocity of 1998 and which has helped drive forward the considerable regeneration of the town. Today’s event marked the culmination of their work, as the Task Force will be wound up later this month.

The Minister paid tribute to its work: “I have been hugely impressed by the many changes for the better that have taken place in Omagh. The Omagh 2010 Task Force can take great pride in its major role in the transformation of the town. This is evident in the restored confidence and optimism of its people and in the private and public sector investment in the town. They have helped bring fresh hope in the wake of despair.”

The Minister launched an exhibition of the work by more than 80 young people. These citizens of the future took part in a two-day conference, during which they contributed to and commented on the Omagh 2010 Strategy through the use of creative processes and techniques.

Visualise Omagh in Creative Expression (VOICE) was assisted by the Taskforce and the Western Education and Library Board’s Creative Youth Partnerships. The Minister praised the innovative approach taken to engage the young people in the project and hoped that their wishes for the future would come true.

NOTES TO EDITORS:

1. The two redundant military sites of Lisanelly and St Lucia comprise some 170 acres and sit on adjacent sites separated by the River Strule. St Lucia, the older of the two sites, contains some attractive and historic listed buildings and is located within easy reach of the town centre. A range of possible future uses for the sites is being explored, which would include both public sector and private sector elements. A major constraint for the Northern Ireland Administration is that military sites now have to be purchased from Ministry of Defence (MOD) at full market value. Some initial sites, including the Maze, were gifted under the Reinvestment and Reform Initiative but recent sites, including Clooney in Derry, have had to be purchased. Ministry of Defence have an aggressive disposal programme which means that the NI Administration has a small window of opportunity before the sites are put on the open market by MOD.

2. Omagh 2010 Taskforce was established as a result of the Action Plan for Local Recovery and beyond in the wake of the Omagh bomb atrocity in 1998. The Taskforce, made up of representatives from Statutory organisations, Omagh District Council, the local community and business representatives, led the development of Omagh 2010 which was an Economic and Infrastructural Plan for Omagh. The Taskforce is now coming to the end of its six year existence, and this event is being held to celebrate its achievements.

The Task Force received funding of £75,000 per year from DSD, and also received funding from Omagh District Council. It has published four annual reports detailing its achievements.

Within the most recent report, the Taskforce lists its achievements as having driven forward the implementation of the Omagh 2010 Strategy under a number of different themes, including “Vibrant Town”, “Enterprising Economy”, “Educational Excellence and Lifelong Learning” , “Leisure and Tourism” and “Health and Wellbeing”. The Taskforce has commissioned a number of consultancy reports including research into Strategic Sites in Omagh, Regional Positioning and Accelerating Entrepreneurship.

3. VOICE was a two day youth conference driven by the desire of the Taskforce to engage with young people in a review of the Omagh 2010 Strategy, and was assisted by the Western Education and Library Board’s Creative Youth Partnerships. The exhibition illustrates the work of the conference.

4. Media enquiries to Derek Black on 07710 744993 or DSD Information Office on 028 9082 9497.