AQW 22090/17-22

Ms Kellie Armstrong
Alliance Party
Strangford

Tabled Date: 09/09/2021
Answered On Date: 28/09/2021
Priority Written: No

Question:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (i) to outline why the Rural College site in Draperstown is sitting unused; and (ii) how much departmental money is used to fund the upkeep of this facility.

Answer:

The buildings you refer to at Derrynoid forest near Draperstown are the subject of a 99 year lease with Workspace Ltd which commenced in 1995. Under this lease the buildings were in use as a Rural College until its closure in 2011.

The buildings have been vacant since 2011, and from then Workspace has explored numerous options to secure a future use for the buildings. Despite their best efforts, to date this has proved to be unsuccessful.

While the current lease with Workspace Ltd remains in place, they continue to have full responsibility, in line with the lease obligations, for all ongoing costs associated with the buildings.