The disused Shackleton Barracks site in Ballykelly.
The Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (DARD) has been given the go ahead by the Northern Ireland Executive to move its theadquarters to move to Ballykelly in Co. Derry.
The move will see around 700 posts relocated to the former Shackleton army barracks in two phases.
The site was given free to the Executive by the Ministry of Defence in 2011.
Building work is expected to begin at the end of next year and be completed by late 2017 with 340 of the posts relocated by the end of that year with the remainder by 2020.
DARD Minister, Michelle O’Neill said as a result of the approval “we will now press on with the necessary detailed design work.”
DARD Minister Michelle O’Neill.
She added: “This is consistent with my commitment to relocate to a rural area. This move to Ballykelly forms part of my broader programme of relocations.
“The Forest Service is being headquartered in Fermanagh and Fisheries Division in Downpatrick by June 2015. The Rivers Agency will be headquartered in the Loughrey Campus of the College of Agri Food and Rural Enterprise by March 2016.
“This decision will mean that I meet my Programme for Government target to decentralise DARD’s Headquarters to a rural location.”
She concluded: “However, I also expect these moves to deliver real social and economic improvement in rural areas while enhancing the identification of the Department with the rural community.”
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