*Saint Conaire’s National School in Shannon
CLARE County Council has granted planning permission for three new standalone sports halls at primary schools in Shannon.
The developments at St Conaire’s National School, St Aidan’s National School and St Senan’s National School will each involve the construction of a new sports hall building.
The applications were submitted by St Flannan’s (Killaloe) Diocesan Trust and the Michael Guinee Charitable Foundation, with the project intended to provide new multi-use sports and performance facilities for the three schools.
Each proposed building will include a double-height general purpose sports hall and children’s performance space, along with staff and student sanitary facilities, storage areas, a services plant room, a re-heat kitchen facility, building signage, external public lighting and associated site works.
The planning applications were each accompanied by a Natura Impact Statement, Ecological Impact Assessment and Flood Risk Assessment.
The developments were approved by Clare County Council on July 29, with each application granted permission subject to seven conditions.
In its assessments, Clare County Council’s planning department said all three sites are located within the Shannon settlement boundary and are zoned for community use under the Clare County Development Plan 2023-2029.
The planners noted that the facilities would serve the existing school populations, while also providing potential community resources through out-of-hours use.
The Architectural Design Statement submitted with the applications said the sports halls were identified as a need for the three Shannon schools and were developed in consultation with the school communities and project stakeholders.
The proposed buildings have been designed by O’Neill O’Malley Architects and will feature silver aluminium cladding, glazed entrance features and sustainable timber construction, including cross-laminated timber (CLT) and glulam.
At St Conaire’s National School, the council found the proposal would not negatively impact residential or visual amenities and noted the building would be consistent with the established school use of the site.
At St Aidan’s National School, the planner considered the proximity of nearby housing and said the design had incorporated measures to minimise impacts on residents, including acoustic insulation, high-level glazing and controlled external lighting.
At St Senan’s National School, the council similarly concluded that the development would not detract from visual amenities, noting the established school setting and proposed design and materials.
Flood risk assessments were submitted for the schools, with the planners considering the developments acceptable having regard to the proposed finished floor levels, existing flood defence infrastructure and mitigation measures.
The applications were also assessed in relation to nearby Natura sites, including the Lower River Shannon Special Area of Conservation and River Shannon and River Fergus Estuaries Special Protection Area.
The council concluded that, subject to the implementation of mitigation measures outlined in the supporting reports, the developments would not have significant impacts on protected habitats or species.
No third-party observations were received on the three applications.
The permissions were granted subject to conditions including requirements for construction traffic management plans, approval of lighting details, implementation of environmental mitigation measures and connection agreements with Uisce Éireann where required.
