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Belfast Live
Belfast Live
National
Brendan Hughes

Cost to public of DUP's Edwin Poots renaming department HQ for Queen's platinum jubilee

DUP Agriculture Minister Edwin Poots spent more than £1,000 of public money renaming his Stormont department's headquarters to mark the Queen's platinum jubilee.

The spending included £300 on hiring a small curtain for the formal unveiling of the new name, "Jubilee House".

Mr Poots announced the renaming of Ballykelly House outside Limavady in Co Derry last month after Belfast Live revealed in April he was considering the move.

Read more: DUP minister Edwin Poots' son faces watchdog hearing over 'conflicts in planning process'

A total of £1,050 was spent on his launch of a plaque containing the new name, which declares it was "unveiled by Edwin Poots" to "celebrate Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II's Platinum Jubilee".

Some £620 was spent on "signage" and £130 on undisclosed launch event costs, according to a Freedom of Information response from the department.

Harry Fone, grassroots campaign manager at lobby group the TaxPayers' Alliance, said: "Many taxpayers will question the merits of this spending.

"We're in the middle of a cost-of-living crisis and can't afford to misspend a single pound.

"While politicians may wish to pay tribute to the Queen they should consider whether it's acceptable to use the public purse to do so."

But Mr Poots has previously defended the level of spending for unveiling the name change, with the former DUP leader saying that "most people will think it's entirely reasonable".

The renamed building, a £21million facility opened 2018, is located on the former Shackleton Army Base on the banks of Lough Foyle.

It emerged after the name change that an equality screening exercise had been conducted which said the decision could "raise sensitivity" for nationalist members of staff.

But it added: "It is however recognised that this is a decision being made by the departmental minister to recognise the importance of the building as one of the department's headquarter locations and to celebrate the historic occasion of the Queen's platinum jubilee.

"The renaming is not expected to have a direct impact on the staff who work there, who as civil servants, are expected to be politically impartial, or on the services provided to users from the building."

Mr Poots also insisted on Twitter that "process was properly adhered to" and his decision was "entirely proper and legitimate".

The renaming is not the only platinum jubilee initiative from Stormont's agriculture and environment department that has faced criticism.

Environmental campaigners slammed the awarding of a £100,000 grant to a Co Down church to create a "pollinator garden" marking the Queen's 70 years on the throne.

They said the award to Magheralin Parish Church, which was announced by Mr Poots, partly involves the "destruction" of an existing wildflower meadow.

The Live Here Love Here programme, which administered the grant for the department, said the plans would "sympathetically enhance their existing site, protecting its ecological value for future generations".

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