Ambitious expansion plan for Blarney school gets green light

AN ambitious proposal to transform Scoil Mhuire Gan Smál in Blarney into one of the most modern secondary schools in the country has been given the thumbs-up.

It emerged this week that council officials have signed off on the plan submitted by the schools Board of Management in October, which will see the construction of a new three-story building at the site that will cater for up to 1,200 students.

The proposed development will incorporate the demolition of part of the existing two-story school building, the relocation of existing prefabricated classrooms and the addition of four new ones to cater for students while construction work is ongoing. These will all be removed once the works, which it is hoped will start in the middle of next year, have been completed.

The new school complex will consist of more than 40 classrooms, science laboratories, specialist arts, home economics and technology rooms, a dedicated special needs unit, an extensive library and a PE with a fitness suite.

External works include ball courts, bus set-down areas, more than 100 car-parking spaces and a new traffic management system in the vicinity of the school.

However, more than 20 observations/objections were lodged with planners by local residents, airing concerns in relation to a variety of issues.

These included traffic flow and safety, the capability of the existing sewage system to cope with the increased demand, excess surface water, the scale of the proposed new building and its suitability in terms of the size of the site and the lack of engagement with locals during the planning process.

Despite these, planners ruled the proposed development would “not seriously injure the amenities of the area and would not be prejudicial to public health and, therefore, would be in accordance with the proper planning and sustainable development of the area.”

However, the permission was subject to 25 separate conditions that must be fulfilled if the project is to go ahead.

These covered issues including pollution control and waste management, the removal of excess surface water to prevent flooding, pedestrian and road safety, parking, covering the cost of upgrading a cul de sac at Castle Close for vehicular access and the implementation of a dedicated school travel plan.

The council also ruled that the developer pay a ‘special contribution’ of €40,000 to cover the costs of a new footpath on the L-2794 road that would not be covered under the authority’s general contributions scheme.

At the time of writing no formal objection to the granting of planning permission had been to An Bord Pleanála.