Councillor Thomas O’Reilly sitting beside the remnants of Newtownbutler Police Station
THE OLD Police Station site in Newtownbutler could become a business hub – if plans to convert the site come to fruition
Already, £100, 000 worth of funding for around six business development units on the site, which has been demolished in the last number of weeks, has been secured.
An additional £200, 000 is being sought for the project, which could provide a real boost to the area.
Behind the project is Sinn Fein Councillor Thomas O’ Reilly, who pushed for the council to take ownership of the site, 1.35 acres for around £60,000.
For now, the councillor, who lives in the area, hopes to progress an allotments project, while further funding is secured to develop the site.
“The station has been demolished in the last number of weeks and my idea in the short-term is to try some allotment and to see if the community would like to work out a system there.”
As for the long-term plan, Cllr O’Reilly explained:
“The idea would be to help indigenous businesses and provide jobs in the area.
“There is a lot of building (housing) that has gone and on and now is the time to see how we can keep jobs in the village and create jobs.
“Unfortunately people are having to move out of the area to get jobs.
“The next thing is to find the right type of funding, I’d say that we would need another £200, 000 to get this project going.”
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