Engineers to get inside PSNI base

Engineers to get inside PSNI base

31 December 2014

ROADS officials are finally to be granted access to Downpatrick police station to carry out survey work linked to the planned construction of a new link road in the town centre.

The news comes after the Department of Regional Development expressed concern its engineers have been refused access to the base to carry out survey work on a proposed new road linking Irish Street with St. Patrick’s Avenue.

The road is viewed as crucial to the success of a new one-way system designed to address town centre traffic congestion.

Over recent months, roads officials have become increasingly frustrated that their attempts to carry out detailed survey work to allow them to design the new road were blocked.

The PSNI’s Premises Security Branch was insisting that third party surveys of PSNI facilities are not permitted whilst any facility is still in use. This meant roads engineers would have to wait until police vacate the Irish Street base and move to a new district command headquarters at the Downshire site which is not expected to open for at least another 12 months.

However, agreement on a way forward and allowing engineers access to the site has now been reached. The news has been welcomed by Downpatrick councillor Naomi Bailie, who is pleased the hold-up in designing the new road has been overcome.

The local politician said she’s pleased the design process can get underway, with engineers able to factor the outcome of their work into proposals for the new link road joining Irish Street and St. Patrick’s Avenue.

“The decision to grant engineers access to the police base is timely given the imminent publication of the Downpatrick traffic survey in January,” said councillor Bailie.

“I hope the surveys at the Irish Street site can be completed with urgency and factored into this document. The link road may not be presented as the solution to easing all Downpatrick’s congestion problems, but the scheme will undoubtedly play a role in the traffic survey.”

Councillor Bailie said she has informed roads officials that engineers can now access the police station site, with its officials in the process of arranging access to carry out the necessary work.