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 Strategy, which was approved by the Policing Board in May 2005, is a five year programme of work, represents a £200 million 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 is reviewing 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 District 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 progress towards implementing the Estate Strategy through the Resources and Improvement Committee.
Development of the New Police College
Patten recommendation 131 envisaged a new purpose built police college. An initial specification for the College was presented to, and agreed by the Policing Board in early 2003. This specification has been reworked and refined to the point where the Policing 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 with outline planning permission granted for the College at this 210 acre site in July 2005. Securing the necessary funding remains a concern for both the Policing Board and the PSNI, but both remain fully committed to securing the necessary funding required to build the new Police College on the Desertcreat site.