Healthy-eating school goes to High Court over plans for McDonald’s

A SECONDARY school with a healthy eating policy has launched a High Court challenge against planning permission granted for a nearby McDonald’s.

The High Court was told that Temple Carrig Secondary School in Greystones, Co. Wicklow, was taking the action against An Bord Pleanála. The school shares a site with two primary schools, Greystones Educate Together National School and Gaelscoil Na gCloch Liath.

Jarlath Fitzsimons SC, for Temple Carrig board of management, said his clients were seeking to overturn permission granted by the planning board on September 30. He said the permission was for a single and two-storey development, including a McDonald’s cafe and drivethrough, as well as a health and fitness studio and a commercial unit.

Mr Fitzsimons said McDonald’s Restaurants of Ireland Ltd had applied to Wicklow County Council for permission for the development in November 2014. He said the school had opposed the application, but permission was granted in May 2015.

The school then appealed this decision, along with a number of other third parties, including a local residents association, the parents association of the Educate Together school and the board of management of the Gaelscoil. Temple Carrig, which opened in 2014, has a healthy eating policy, which is promoted in the school and features on the curriculum. Mr Fitzsimons argued that there had been no assessment by the planning board of the impact of a fast food restaurant.

Mr Justice Richard Humphreys said the school board had raised substantial grounds for its application to have a judicial review of An Bord Pleanála’s decision.

He granted leave for the school board to take the case, which will return to court in January. Speaking after, school principal Alan Cox said: ‘I can assure parents that the money raised by the voluntary contribution... will not be used to meet any legal expenses.’