Council on the move

Council on the move

18 January 2012 - by DAVID TELFORD

DOWN Council’s new administrative headquarters will open for business in August. The £11m building at the Downshire Hospital site in Downpatrick is at the core of an ambitious plan to develop a public sector campus at the 52-acre site.

The new Downe Hospital has already opened at the site where the PSNI is proposing to construct a new district command headquarters. The Housing Executive is relocating from Irish Street to the Downshire and talks are continuing with a number of other public bodies about moving there.

Down Council chief executive, Mr. John Dumigan, said the switch from the local authority’s current Strangford Road base was to have happened earlier but has been delayed following the discovery of asbestos at part of the former psychiatric hospital which was demolished.

He said a specialist team is drawing up the move from the council’s current base to its new multi-million pound home, explaining the transfer of around 180 staff will be completed within five days.

“We are looking at a huge logistical operation, but for staff it will literally mean leaving one office and walking into another,” said Mr. Dumigan. “We are looking at a smooth transition and services will be maintained throughout.

“The current conditions staff have to put up with at the Strangford Road are third world. They are working in a rat infested building which is very difficult to maintain and heat. The new building, which is two-and-a-half times bigger than the current headquarters, will be much more energy efficient and less costly to run.”

Mr. Dumigan said the new administrative base will have conference facilities which will be made available for organisations and people who may wish to hold events, with the move designed to generate income.

The chief executive said he is excited about the move to the Downshire, arguing the £11m investment in the new building makes a very strong statement that “the council is here to stay and will provide jobs and economic opportunities for the people of this district.”

Mr. Dumigan said the bit that excites him most about the move is that Down Council will continue to work towards encouraging more public sector bodies to move to the Downshire.

“Hopefully, we will have some facility created there to allow the public to access any public service that they want, be it taxing their car or licensing their dog. We are currently talking to a number of other bodies about relocating to the Downshire where a number of commercial units will available, representing an economic investment opportunity for some,” he continued.

“Moving to the new building heralds a new era and the staff and I can’t wait to get in. We currently have no major public access to the debating chamber and increasingly, organisations and the public want to attend council meetings, but we can’t facilitate that at the Strangford Road.”

Mr. Dumigan said this will change at the Downshire with significantly improved public access and he believes it’s a good thing people want to see what’s going on.

He continued: “I want the public to see how hard the council works and hear the difficult debates that there are. Some of the things we have to make decisions on are not easy.

“It’s hard to hear in our current chamber, people can’t make proper presentations and the whole ambience of the place is wrong. It isn’t modern and doesn’t facilitate good business relationships.”

Mr. Dumigan added: “I have no doubt the new admin centre will be absolutely brilliant and it will make a strong statement that Downpatrick remains a centre of public sector administration which is critical in the current time. We are here to stay and will remain a major employer in this area.”