Sinn Féin MLA Michaela Boyle has written to the Minister of Justice and the Policing Board expressing her concerns at the amount of public money being spent on the PSNI station in Castlederg.
A recent Freedom of Information request has shown the station, which is open five hours per week, had £111,594.87 been spent on re-decoration works, electricity, heating, broadband and other maintenance works and in the two year period between 2012 and 2014.
Ms Boyle said Sinn Féin had “long campaigned,” along with the local community, for the removal of the barracks.
She added: “What people within this community want is civic, accountable and effective policing.
“The retention of this militarised barracks does nothing to achieve this.
“With the announcement of the PSNI’s recent funding crisis and the savings that are required to be made as a result of this, I believe serious consideration needs to be given to the removal of this barracks. It serves no purpose in the local community and is merely an eyesore and a huge drain on the PSNI’s financial resources.”
Cllr Ruairi McHugh said he could think of “a thousand ways” the 8,514 square metre site could be utilised by the local community.
He add: “Castlederg is one of the most deprived rural areas in the North. It is shocking that so much money can be spent on an unused building when so many people living nearby are living in poverty.”
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