Ruling on PSNI college site scrapped

A controversial ruling that Northern Ireland’s new £100m (€140m) police training college must be sited within 45 miles of Belfast has been scrapped, senior officers announced today.

Even though nearly 30 potential locations for the state-of-the-art academy have already been studied, the decision has been taken to extend the bidding process right across the North.

The U-turn will be regarded as a major victory for a powerful lobby of politicians and businessmen from Derry who have threatened legal action if the restrictions were not lifted.

Paul Leighton, the Police Service of Northern Ireland’s deputy chief constable, said the decision had been taken because of massive interest from landowners and property developers outside the radius.

He confirmed: “We have made a decision on the project board to extend invitations to all of Northern Ireland.”

Efforts to identify the ideal site for training recruits from both sides of the Irish border, and fledgling officers from the United States are now expected to be intensified in a bid to have the college opened by 2007.

Recommendations for a new academy were among the key points in the Patten blueprint for reforming Northern Ireland’s police force.

Joe Byrne, a nationalist SDLP member of the policing board, insisted no other decision could have been taken.

He said: “The 45-mile limit was effectively declaring that part of Northern Ireland was bandit country and not suitable for consideration.

“All of Northern Ireland can now apply for particular sites equally and real equality has been introduced to the bidding process.

“No longer is Derry, Tyrone, Fermanagh and Armagh regarded as beyond the pale.”