Workhouse plan delayed

Workhouse plan delayed

2 October 2013

DOWN Council has been forced to delay plans to seek contractor to demolish Downpatrick’s former workhouse.

The move was officially taken in a private ‘in committee’ session at the council on Monday evening, though a delay was forecast after the Northern Ireland Environment Agency said earlier this month that it intended to examine the site.

Down Council, arguing there is no historical value at all to the building on its former premises, had wanted to proceed with demolition as soon as possible. The demolition process would enable it to obtain maximum value from its sale of the Strangford Road site which was the former home of Down Council.

However, in a letter received at the council this week, the Northern Ireland Environment Agency confirmed it did intend to carry out a survey.

A number of environmentalists recently argued the site should be developed as a site of historic interest. In response, council chief executive John Dumigan said retaining the building would reduce the value of the site to “virtually nothing”.

He said the 171 year-old structure required a new roof, suffered from damp, had vermin problems and had an internal layout very different from the original entrance building.