Mid Ulster District Council planning officials recommend approving the demolition of a historic building in Cookstown town centre. The site at 6 Loy Street once served as a police barracks. A decision on the application goes before the council's planning committee soon.

The building dates to 1867 or 1868 and functioned as Cookstown police barracks until the 1970s. Local firm MACM owns it. The structure stands vacant and in poor condition after years of neglect. Authorities added it to a heritage at risk register in 2023, though it lacks formal listed status.

MACM proposes replacing the building with a structure featuring office space on the ground floor and six apartments above. The plan includes 11 houses on land to the rear, for a total of 17 new homes.

Planning officers initially advised against permission last year. In June 2025, a committee report also suggested refusal. Officials deferred the matter for a site inspection and review.

A fresh report now supports approval. It acknowledges conservation team concerns over the site's role in the local character. The document highlights the building's decay and notes the council lacks powers to compel repairs. Approval would enable regeneration of the site and adjacent vacant land with development matching the street layout.