A TOP Catholic Education chief has pledged to support the future of Cookstown’s Holy Trinity College including a new-build during a review of Post Primary education in Mid Ulster.

Gerry Lundy, who is Post Primary Revew Director, said careful planning was needed with the changes in growth of Trinity College.

At a meeting with Mr Lundy, a Sinn Fein delegation pressed the top executive on the need for Cookstown to be addressed as a ‘stand alone’ project with the potential for Holy Trinity to have an enrolment of 1300 pupils.

Councillors Sean Clarke, Pearse McAleer and John McNamee along with Francie Molloy MLA for Mid Ulster met Mr Lundy at Stormont this week.

In a joint statement the delegation said there were major concerns regarding the ‘what the NICCE call the Greater Dungannon Project’. “This project actually includes the Cookstown area and has major implications for the future development of Holy Trinity College,” said the statement, criticising already published proposals which they felt had not taken into account local consultation.

There had been concern in Cookstown that students were haemorraging to schools in Dungannon and Magherafelt.

The delegation felt the proposals were influenced by other interests outside Cookstown with no interest in the development of the Cookstown area.

The delegation said Mr Lundy was left in no doubt the published proposals were ‘unacceptable’.

“Within these proposals there was also no indication of any plans for a replacement building for the very out of date and over crowded current Holy Trinity premises,” said the statement.

The delegation claimed Mr Lundy assured them there would be full consultation and that the earlier local consultation would receive appropriate recognition and that a new build school would indeed part of the plans for the future.

In a statement to the Mid Ulster Mail, Mr Lundy said when preparing recommendations for project areas full consideration should be given to the whole area and the impact on adjoining areas.

“The Mid-Ulster area is a case in point as any agreed changes to one of the component schools will have an impact on another school. For example the Trustees fully support the vision for Holy Trinity College to become large enough to meet the needs of all young people for whom it is their nearest school. They also support the current plans for new buildings to deliver that vision.

“However if a school grows larger then that has the potential to lead to a reduction in size of another school.

“In such a situation any growth has to be carefully planned and managed so that the school which may be reducing in size can continue to be a strong, viable and sustainable school.

“That does not mean that change cannot take place but rather that careful planning and negotiation is essential in order to develop a transition plan to any proposed changes in future schooling in the area. All changes are underpinned by the shared commitment to put the needs of children first.

He emphasised the need for partnership and collaboration among existing schools and the greater sharing of resources.

“I would also wish to take this opportunity to clarify the recommendation in respect of Magherafelt. This has been reported as a recommendation to create a new school through the merger of the two schools. The recommendation, however, is not that, but is one which is asking the two schools to work together to develop what they view as the most viable long term solution.

“The recommendation asks St Mary’s Grammar school and St.Pius X College to jointly collaborate in a three year development plan for 2011 – 2014 that would build further effective and efficient links in the area of curriculum, staffing and resources, funding and implementation of further efficiencies, other issues contingent to the development of high quality post-primary education fit for all the young people in the Magherafelt area, so that they can develop their full uniqueness and potential. This work would then be subject to a full review by the Trustees, Principals, and Governors, with a view to the implementation of an agreed solution to the Magherafelt project area.

“The Trustees do have a view that, when academic selection ends, that a single school may be the way forward in Magherafelt but they are fully open to a different locally agreed solution being brought forward and are not in any way committed to a single school.

“This mirrors the position in other areas where the Trustees have expressed a view as to the development of co-education in an area but are open to a locally agreed solution which remains single sex provision.

“The key question to be answered is, will the proposed changes manage the challenges and provide high quality of all young people and there are many ways of responding in the affirmative to that question.”

A 22 year-old from Castledawson has been chosen to go through to the final of Northern Ireland’s first Miss Bollywood beauty pageant.

Stunning student Natasha Chada is one of five girls who will compete in the glittering contest in Belfast’s Ramada Plaza Hotel in May.

Natasha was chosen by top NI model agency Style Academy to go forward in the competition, which aims to raise vital funds to build a baby rescue centre in Bangalore.

A graduate of the University of Ulster, the 22 year-old stunner is currently studying for a Masters in Child Development at Queens University. The kind hearted student also works as a volunteer counsellor for Childline, as well as a Special Needs classroom assistant in a local primary school.

“I actually contacted Nelson because I heard about Angel House and wanted to help raise awareness of it,” said Natasha.

“It’s a cause that hits really close to home for me. My family are originally from the area the orphanage will be and I work with disadvantaged children over here so it is right up my street, this is the career I want to be in!

She continued: “When Nelson mentioned the Miss Bollywood competition, I was wary about entering because I’m quite shy but I knew it was for a good cause and I’m so glad that I did. I never in a million years thought I’d be in the final next to the other girls chosen.”

Natasha will compete against four other beauties from around the province - Hannah Taylor from Portadown, Olivia Watson from Banbridge, Lucy Donnelly and Jade O’Neill from Belfast.

Participants get to enjoy a professional photo shoot complete with hair, make-up and Bollywood costume – a superb experience in itself. However, they also have the chance to win a share in over £2,000 in prizes, including a potential modelling contract with Northern Ireland’s illustrious Style Academy, and the Miss Bollywood Northern Ireland 2012 title.

This unique and exclusive competition has been created to raise funds to help establish Angel House - a home in India for babies abandoned by their families because they are female.

Every day in India 2,000 babies are killed simply because they are female while even more are abandoned at churches, hospitals, over-crowded orphanages or simply in the street. Portadown couple Nelson and Janet Thomas-Raja aim to establish Angel House as just one part of a wider project to help children and mothers in India.

Anyone interested in taking part in our second heat shoots can email missbollywoodni@gmail.com or telephone 028 38351055 for more information.

MAGHERAFELT glassware company Fire Glass Direct Ireland has announced it is to create 40 new jobs in a £1 million expansion plan.

The Hillhead Road based business is investing £1,196,456 in its strategic plan which aims to substantially increase sales and consolidate its position in the market.

The boost will drive the leading fire and safety glass firm’s workforce to a staff count of 77.

Speaking after the announcement on Tuesday, Director Seamus O’Connor said: “This investment marks a major expansion for us, almost doubling our workforce, and is a reflection of our confidence in the potential of our new products to significantly increase our turnover and market reach.

“Invest NI’s support is allowing us to put the jobs in place quickly and therefore take advantage of market opportunities.”

Invest Northern Ireland has offered Fire Glass Direct £160,000 of support through its Jobs Fund, which has a budget of £19 million to support the creation of 4,000 jobs by March 2014.

Fire Glass Direct, which was established in 2004, provides mirrors, double glazed units, office partitions and movable walls.

Over the last few years the company has developed a range of new products including toughened glass and Mediglaze, which is used in critical care and isolation units for the medical/health industry.

Des Gartland, Manager of Invest NI’s North-west Regional Office, said the investment would bring huge benefits to Mid-Ulster’s construction sector.

He said: “This investment marks the next step in the company’s strategic plan to substantially increase sales and consolidate its position in the market. Its new products, which were developed with Invest NI’s support, have opened up more avenues of opportunity for it and demonstrate that even in difficult economic conditions companies can succeed by constantly innovating and seeking out new markets outside Northern Ireland.

“These new skilled jobs are very welcome in Mid Ulster where the construction sector in particular has been badly hit by the economic downturn.”

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MAGHERAFELT District Council is to write to DOE Minister Alex Attwood seeking immediate publication of a review into the Rural Planning Policy Statement PPS21.

The call was made following a proposal from councillor Sean Mc Peake at last week’s full council meeting.

The Sinn Fein representative stated that planning applicants are continuing to experience difficulties in obtaining planning permissions for various reasons.

“These can be simply that the policy is not flexible enough to allow those people who wish to live in the countryside to do so or that it is often due to how the policy is interpreted by Planning Service officials within different areas,” he said.

“There needs to be a consistent approach to the policy application into the positioning and siting of dwellings and farm buildings.

“Where there are alternative and better sites away from the main farmyard, then these should be considered.”

Councillor McPeake added: “Since the publication of PPS21 over three years ago, the SDLP have been, quite rightly calling for greater improvements made to the policy which would allow for further scope for those seeking to obtain planning permission for a rural dwelling in the countryside.

“However, these calls seem to ring hollow as now that the SDLP now has has ministerial control of this particular portfolio since May last year there appears to be no evidence of any such improvements. We are calling for the immediate publication of the review which hopefully will go in some way to redress the deficits of the previous policy.”

]]> 1.3548487 Wed, 22 Feb 2012 13:21:34 +0000 http://www.midulstermail.co.uk/conned_to_pay_fine_after_virus_locks_computer_1_3545222

POLICE in Cookstown have issued a warning after a local resident was conned out of £100 from a fake website purporting to be from the police.

The resident received a demand for the money when the computer ‘locked’.

The con artists had claimed to be from Glasgow police.

According to local police this con has become more prevalent.

The Malware or computer virus locks the screen and requests that members of the public should pay a fine to get their computers unlocked.

The malware infects personal computers after users have accessed certain websites. And there are several similar site designs currently in circulation but they purport to be from law enforcement agencies.

Officers from the Met’s Police Central e-Crime Unit (PCeU) are working with international law enforcement agencies to investigate this offence. (There are similar scams involving Microsoft and performing rights bodies).

PCeU have liaised with all other UK forces to make them aware of the malware and steps to take. Action Fraud are also aware and have issued advice to the public.

“This is a fraud and users are advised NOT to pay out any monies or hand out any bank details,” said a police statement.

“No Police Service would contact members of the public via email and demand funds in this way.

“We would advise anyone who has been deceived by such a message and parted with any money to report the offence to their local police.

“Virus/Malware infections where no money has been lost can be logged at www.actionfraud.org.uk/report_fraud.

“In order to reduce the chances of being infected by this or similar malware police strongly recommend that anti-virus software is both used and (importantly) routinely updated to keep pace with new threats as they are discovered.

“In addition, operating systems such as Windows and Mac OS routinely issue updates that patch potential vulnerabilities. Sound advice can be found at www.getsafeonline.org,” said the police statement.

EXTENSIVE damage caused to the Model Village at Moneymore has been ‘mindless vandalism’.

According to police the vandals wrecked the tourist attraction sometime between 3.30pm on February 17 and when the incident was reported at 1pm on February 18.

Ulster Unionist Mid-Ulster Assembly Member, Sandra Overend MLA, has spoken of her ‘disgust at the vandals who destroyed local heritage’.

She said: “I was shocked and deeply disappointed to hear the news that the Model Village in Moneymore had been significantly damaged in a spat of mindless vandalism at the weekend. Moneymore is a quaint little village with a rich heritage and a tightly knit community who will not tolerate such acts.

“The Model Village is a popular tourist draw as it serves to symbolise and depict life in rural Ulster at the time of the plantation.

“There were also cars damaged during this incident,” she said.

“I encourage anyone with any information on the past weekend’s events to contact the authorities.”

Police said enquiries so far have proved negative therefore are appealing to the public if they saw or heard anything to get in touch with police at Cookstown on 0845 600 8000 or use the confidential telephone number - 0800555111.

A COOKSTOWN firm has bought a site which was once earmarked for Belfast’s tallest building.

The site, on Great Victoria Street, was sold by the Irish government’s National Asset Management Agency (Nama) to Lissan Coal Company.

It has already submitted a planning application to build a petrol station.

During the property boom, a developer had planned a 37-storey apartment block on the site but it was later repossessed.

The selling agents, BTW Shiells, said there had been strong interest in the site from a number of bidders.

Stuart Draffin from the firm said: “The level of active bidding reinforced that there are still a number of credible end users actively seeking sites in the city centre.

“Potential interests included residential, leisure, and retail operators both on a straight purchase and a subject-to-planning basis.

“The sale will likely be good for Great Victoria Street as it should see another site which has been derelict, now for in excess of seven years, turned back into active use”.

The price of the site has not been disclosed but it is likely to be a fraction of the £7m for which it once changed hands.

Last year, Nama sold an adjacent property on Great Victoria Street where a developer plans to build two hotels.

PATIENTS at Antrim Area Hospital were moved from their beds on Saturday morning after workmen hit a gas pipe on the main site.

Police and emergency crews attended the site after 8am when the accident occurred.

Staff were able to accommodate patients from the Accident and Emergency department and the main building to other areas in the hospital. The alert was stood down at 10am and the hospital functioned normally the rest of the day.

Speaking after the incident, Northern Trust Chief Executive Sean Donaghy, said: “We have plans in place for incidents such as this, and we review and rehearse them frequently.

“I am pleased the alert process went smoothly, with minimum disruption to patients and that we are now back to normal business.

“Staff on the hospital site acted quickly to minimise disruption and ensure patient safety and I would like to thank them, the fire service and PSNI”.

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