*Knockanean NS.
WORKS to widen the road on the approach to Knockanean National School will cost in excess of €450,000, a senior engineer in the Ennis Municipal District has flagged.
At the end of June, the final day of Knockanean NS was marked as it embarks on a temporary new chapter from September where it will be based on the grounds of St Flannan’s College while a new school is built.
Knockanean NS in June 2020 received the green light from Clare County Council for a long-awaited redevelopment which has an estimated price tag of €6m. This will see the construction of eight new classrooms, the retention and integration of a four classrooom block built in 2011. School enrolments will be limited to 297 pupils as a planning condition, this can only be amended with another planning permission.
In a proposal before the Ennis MD, Cllr Pat Daly (FF) stressed, “Now that the development of a new National School at Knockanean has begun, it is imperative that Ennis M.D. seek funding for the widening of the road leading up to the school”.
Acting senior executive engineer, Paddy Tiernan advised, “There are several local roads and regional within the county of Clare where road alignment and road widening is warranted”. He said the Council must prioritse roads “in most need of intervention” when applying to the Department of Transport or the NTA for project specific, road improvement funding.
Tiernan explained, “it is necessary for Clare County Council to prioritise those roads that are in most need of intervention. Prioritisation is based on a county-wide basis with numerous criteria considered including the classification of road (local or regional), traffic volumes and accident records”.
He outlined that the L-4106 leading to Knockanean NS is classified as a local road “with relatively low traffic volumes. Hence it is difficult for Ennis MD to prioritise the widening of this road over other projects”.
According to a cost estimate by the Council’s transportation department, road widening in the vicinity of the school on the Gaurus approach would cost €450,000 and this excluded land acquisition. “Furthermore, during the planning consultation process a proposal was made by representatives from Knockanean National School/Department of Education that they would acquire the necessary lands to facilitate road widening on the approach to the school. We are led to believe the school subsequently failed in their efforts to secure this land,” Tiernan stated.
As part of the development of Knockanean NS, a Special Development Contribution has been conditioned. “The purpose of same is facilitate the provision of traffic signage, road resurfacing and road marking in the immediate vicinity of the school. It does not include for any widening works to the roads on the approach,” the engineer explained.
Speaking at Tuesday’s meeting of the Ennis MD, Cllr Daly noted “several motions have gone on this previously. It is great that Knockanean is getting a new national school. This request to widen the road is ongoing since I came in here twenty six years ago, land acquisition is required and funding will be required for this, the sooner the better it happens”.
Seconding the proposal, Cllr Tom O’Callaghan (FF) advised the meeting he was a past pupil “with many happy memories” and that he was looking forward to seeing the new school when it is built.
Safer routes to school has result in “some amazing work” at Holy Family NS and Gaelscoil Mhíchíl Cíosóg, Mayor of the Ennis MD, Cllr Mary Howard (FG) flagged.
