The site acquired for the new Devenish College site on the Tempo Road
FULL CONSTRUCTION on a new Devenish College school will start on site by 2016 according to Education Minister John O’Dowd.
Speaking on Monday, the minister stated commencement work will start this financial year (before April next year) and full construction work will begin in the summer of 2016.
Ten years after originally being promised a new build on a site on the Tempo Road, Enniskillen it appears that finally the new school will come to pass.
Speaking in Stormont, Mr O’Dowd reaffirmed his commitment to a ‘new build’ for Devenish and gave an update on the current situation
“For the information of the House, the economic appraisal for a new build at Devenish went to the Department of Finance and Personnel on Friday.
“Economic appraisals usually take between four and six weeks for the Department of Finance to work through. Then the appraisal will be returned to my Department.
“I hope to be in a position within that time frame — I emphasis ‘hope’ — to have made a decision on the development proposals that are before me today.
“If DFP approves the economic appraisal, Devenish will move forward, regardless of what decision I make on Portora and Collegiate.”
In the discussions at Stormont on Monday, the minister was asked by Lord Maurice Morrow when work would commence.
He responded: “Lord Morrow asked me when work at Devenish would commence: the site where Devenish is to be rebuilt is difficult.
“The topography is quite challenging for builders, and the site will require significant enabling works before construction can take place.
“I can inform the House today that I hope that those enabling works will commence in this financial year. It is a significant piece of work, removing a significant part of a drumlin on the site and, most likely, requiring the culverting of a river. I hope that full construction will start on the site by 2016. There is a commencement time for you.”
Mr O’Dowd did stress, however, that this schedule depends on the economic appraisal being passed and that time frame working through.
The chairman of the Board of Governors at Devenish College, Alex Baird welcomed the announcement from the minister.
“Obviously, I welcome the decision by the minister. From our point of view, it is long overdue and we will welcome the first sod being cut and looking forward to a new era for the controlled sector in Fermanagh.”
Enniskillen Collegiate Grammar School principal Elizabeth Armstrong also welcomed the developments.
“We welcome the Minister’s statement during the debate that the enabling works for Devenish College on the Tempo Road site will commence in this financial year subject to the outcome of the current Economic Appraisal.
“We also note that the Minister is on record as stating that he is committed to providing a new build for Devenish College whether he approves these proposals or not.”
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