MoD asked not to knock down army camp homes

MoD asked not to knock down army camp homes

11 January 2017

A FRESH appeal has been issued to the Ministry of Defence not to bulldoze 200 homes at Ballykinlar army base.

A range of three and four bedroom homes, some of which have garages attached, have been lying empty since 2 Rifles moved from Ballykinlar to Thiepval Barracks in Lisburn over two years ago.

Part of the base continues to be used by the police and army and other members of the emergency services for training, but the homes are in a separate part of the expansive complex.

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) has confirmed it is looking at a number of options, which include bulldozing the former Abercorn Barracks formerly occupied by officers, soldiers and their families.

South Down MP, Margaret Ritchie, hopes the homes won’t be razed to the ground and believes they could be used to provide affordable and public sector housing to help ease growing pressure on the district’s housing waiting list where a number of people are in the so-called urgent need category.

The MoD confirmed recently that with the reduction in the military footprint, it is not using Ballykinlar as a base, with its Defence Infrastructure Organisation looking at a range of options, with demolition one of those being examined.

Miss Ritchie is involved in ongoing discussions with the Secretary of State for Defence and his ministers urging that the houses at Ballykinler camp should be saved from demolition.

She said they would provide much-needed accommodation in the local area where young people want to achieve the first rung on the housing ladder and where Housing Associations could utilise the houses to address general unfit housing need in the local area.

“I would encourage the MoD to explore all options to ensure these houses are fully utilised, including proposals from any other government department or developers who might have an interest in the site for housing accommodation purposes,” she said.

“One such option for the site might be its use as a so-called ‘decant’ facility by the Police Service for Northern Ireland for its proposed policing college. There is a training facility at Ballykinler which is already used by the emergency services.”

Miss Ritchie confirmed she has been told recently that the Ballykinlar site was being viewed as a potential base for the new college, but that a final decision was unlikely in the near future.

“If Ballykinlar was chosen as the base for the new police college, the former MoD homes could be utilised by police students as temporary living accommodation,” the MP suggested.

“Senior police officers have informed me recently that they are continuing to scope a number of sites and refine the accommodation requirements as part of the overall initiation process and development of the first stage business case for the new college.”

Miss Ritchie said a short list of suitable sites is expected to be confirmed at the end of next month at which point a more detailed business case process will have to be completed ahead of any final decision being made in the summer.

The MP added: “I will continue to pursue the MoD and the PSNI to ensure full consideration is given to the Ballykinlar site, along with any other options which may be available for the accommodation that currently exists there.”