The sale of a possible site for Northern Ireland's new police college has been blocked by a last-minute high court action, it emerged tonight.
Amid claims that the authorities failed to alert policing chiefs to the government-owned land in Ballymena, Co Antrim, a legal battle has flared over its future development. Farmers who once lived on the 96 acres on the outskirts of the town want a judge to give them first refusal when it eventually goes under the hammer.
With the auction due to take place on November 26th - the date of elections to the Stormont Assembly - they succeeded in having it halted the day before.
An application to apply for a judicial review forced the Department of Social Development to postpone the sale.
Members of the Policing Board involved in a protracted attempt to locate a site for the new £80 million officer training academy were tonight stunned to learn the land was even on the market.
When efforts to secure the disused Maze Prison near Lisburn, Co Antrim, foundered nearly two years ago the authorities were asked to come up with alternatives.
No mention was made of the land at Ballee Road East, which appears to meet all the stringent criteria initially laid down, including being within 45 miles of Belfast and close to a major road network.
Democratic Unionist representative Mr Ian Paisley Jr claimed the staunchly Protestant town had been ignored because others wanted the college to go to a nationalist area.
"The government never made this portion of land available," he said.
PA