New Strabane Academy heldup as new appraisal needed

Strabane High School and Strabane Grammar School recently merged to form the new Strabane Academy entity in 2011. However, although the school authorities want to develop new physical school buildings no “start on site” date is currently available because a revised economic appraisal had to be submitted as a result of a technicality.

On January 22, 2013, Mr O’Dowd announced a programme of 22 new build projects that would advance in planning. But although Strabane Academy was included in this announcement a new economic appraisal has had to be produced for the school due to “current guidelines.”

Mr O’Dowd revealed: “A previous Economic Appraisal (EA) for a new build for Strabane Academy, although undertaken, was never approved by my Department or the Department of Finance and Personnel and, as this EA was more than two years old at the time of my January 2013 announcement, current guidelines state that it had to be updated.”

He said a revised EA is with the Department and that it is currently under consideration. The work is well advanced and Mr O’Dowd expects it will be sent to DFP for approval shortly.