Estate management within the police service has been in the news with the SDLP NI Policing Board Member Conall McDevitt MLA questioning the wisdom in the proposed closure of 40% of Northern Ireland's PSNI stations.

Plans put by the PSNI to the Policing Board have suggested closing 34 of its 83 stations as a move towards the service meeting its target of saving £135m in the next four years.

Mr McDevitt said: "There is a serious question of community confidence raised by these plans.

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"I am not convinced that fewer stations will equal better policing – particularly in rural areas where these closures will hit hardest.

"People want to see more police on the beat, they want to have confidence in the police and they want to see the PSNI meet its commitments on increasing community policing.

"The PSNI has neither explained nor demonstrated how plans to cut the number of stations will contribute positively to any of these perfectly reasonable public expectations.

"They cannot expect a much-needed strengthening of community confidence if they put that community out of mind when budgeting for the future."

Although nothing has yet been agreed, it is thought that some of these sites could then be redeveloped as new building projects .

(CD)