Planning permission has been granted for the construction of a new school building for Knockanenan NS.
In what is expected to be a development in the region of €6.5m and €7m, a two storey building that will consist of eight new classrooms, a general purpose room and ancillary accommodation will be constructed as part of the works on the 1.34ha site.
Plans were first lodged in December with Clare County Council requesting further information at the end of May. The local authority cautioned that “an increase in pupil numbers would not be appropriate in this instance and that any proposed development should comprise of a qualitative improvement of facilities only.”
There will be two separate pedestrian entrances to the new school which will also facilitate 24 parking spaces at the school located 4km outside Ennis. A traffic management report submitted to the planning authority by DBFL consulting engineers commissioned by the Office of Public Works concluded that “there are no significant traffic or transportation related reasons that should prevent the granting of planning permission for the proposed development.”
Up to 360 students and 23 staff members can be catered for in the new school according to a report by the OPW.
Existing boundary walls and the current single storey six classroom school building will be demolished during the development. A four classroom block which was built in 2011 will be retained and incorporated into the new building giving it a total size of 2090sqm.
“Temporary decanting” of the existing school to a new location off site will be required during construction, the OPW report flagged.
According to a report compiled for the OPW lodged with Clare County Council the “temporary decanting” of the existing school to a new location off site will be necessary during the period of construction.
