Monitoring the PSNI Estate Strategy
PSNI resources, including the buildings from which people operate, must be used to meet operational policing demands; and at the request of the Policing Board the PSNI developed an Estate Strategy to compliment and enhance operational policing strategies.
View the PSNI Estate Strategy here
The PSNI Estate Strategy, represents investment in the construction of new stations, maintenance and upgrade programmes, running costs and security review measures to make stations more accessible. The Independent Commission on Policing for Northern Ireland (Patten) recommendations 52 & 53 proposed that police stations should have the appearance of ordinary buildings and that they should be more accessible to the public and a core element of this strategy aims to achieve this.
Another key aspect of the strategy is the review of the police estate. The PSNI continually reviews its estate to consider the need for identified stations and seeking alternative means of providing a policing service in communities. The Policing Board understands how emotive this subject can be and in reviewing proposals from PSNI Commanders, needs to be satisfied that full consultation has taken place, including with the local District Policing Partnership, and that District Commanders have given commitments to set out how, in the absence of a station, local policing will be delivered to ensure no deterioration in the level of service provided. The Policing Board monitors the implementation of the Estate Strategy through the Resources and Improvement Committee.
Development of the Public Services College, Desertcreat
Patten recommendation 131 envisaged a new purpose buit Police College. An initial specification for the College was drawn up by, presented to, and agreed by the Board in early 2003. This specification has been reworked and refined to the point where the Board approved a second Outline Business Case in November 2005. A suitable site for the College has been located at Desertcreat near Cookstown, Co Tyrone. Outline planning permission was granted for the College at this 210 acre site in July 2005. Following an announcement with Paul Goggins MP, Minister of State, on 20 February 2007, the capital funding package was secured with agreement that the college be built on the Desertcreat site would be a shared training facility for use by the PSNI, the Northern Ireland Prison Service and the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service. Shared governance arrangements have been agreed through the Desertcreat College Programme Board and the Project Steering Group. Following a competitive tendering process a Design Team was appointed in December 2008 to progress the design aspects of the project. A Project Manager was also appointed during 2008/09. In March 2009, consultants were appointed to develop and oversee the submission of a final joint Business Case to the relevant Ministers. The Board is represented on the Desertcreat College Programme Board by the Vice Chairman. College funding has been a critical issue throughout this process and decisions in respect of funding are essential before moving to the next stage.
