Ballymena leads multi-body delegation on Castle Tower

Joining the local lead authority in the fight to have the current three crumbling campuses of Ballymena’s Special Schools replaced on a single site, will the the councils of Magherafelt, Ballymoney, Antrim, Carrickfergus, Larne, Coleraine and Moyle.

Following discussion on the issue at last Monday night’s monthly meeting of Ballymena Council, it was agreed that correspondence should be immediately sent to Education Minister, Catriona Ruane, asking her to receive the deputation involving all the local authorities in the North Eastern Education and Library Board area.

This decision was reached by members after they were presented with correspondence on the Castle Tower issue from Ms Ruane.

In her letter, the Education Minister advised councillors that the proposed major capital works scheme for a new-build Castle Tower Special School is currently at the Economic Appraisal (EA) stage and that a revised EA is currently being considered by the Department’s Economic Advisers.

Following approval of the EA, the project will progress to project design and implementation, through the development of plans in accordance with the Royal Institute of British Architects design stages.

The Minister stated that while it was not possible to provide a timescale for approval, she could assure councillors that “the project is being treated as a high priority by officials”.

She added: “In order for construction to commence on site, schemes must be announced for capital funding following approval of an EA.

“As I stated to the Assembly, following approval of the EA, the project will be in a position to compete, along with other projects, for funding from any future capital announcement...at this time, no decision has been taken on the timing of the next capital funding announcement”.

Responding to this, Councillor Monica Digney said she felt that special needs pupils should not have to compete for funding with anyone.

“We need to say ‘ We are not competing! This is what we were promised”.

Ms Digney went on to second a proposal from Ald. Hubert Nicholl to select a deputation involving representatives from all the supporting councils.

He added: “The only thing we can do now is to keep the pressure on and proceed to take a deputation to Rathgael House and make the case for this to be top of the list”.

The Mayor, Cllr James Currie urged members, however, “to be realistic”.

“In the real world, we are going to have cuts in education,” he said.

However, Deputy Mayor, PJ McAvoy, stated: “We can’t let it go...We must push it any way we can... We should lead from the front”.

The vast majority supported this view and it was agreed that a letter be sent to Minister Ruane asking her to receive the multi-council delegation which, it was also agreed, will include Cllrs. Monica Digney, Hubert Nicholl, James Currie, Robin Stirling, PJ McAvoy, Tommy Nicholl, plus a parent representative and a prinicipal from each of the town’s three special schools.