‘Confusion’ over school applications

TWO new schools could be built in Kilcolgan if planning applications submitted to Galway County Council are granted.
The concurrent applications have “caused some confusion locally” according to a recent submission to Galway County Council’s planning section by Kilcolgan Educate Together National School (KETNS) chairperson, Melinda Hughes.
On May 12, the local authority received an application for the development of a two-storey, eight-classroom Educate Together Primary School with indoor recreation area and associated staff room, library, meeting rooms, resource rooms and parents room, provision of external play areas including an all-weather playing pitch with perimeter fencing, as well as a building comprising a crèche at ground-floor level and medical consulting rooms at first-floor level, 55 car-parking spaces, all boundary walls, fences, signs and gates, vehicular access from the N67 together with turning circle and drop-off areas, pedestrian and cycle access from the N18, connection to the existing treatment plant and site landscaping/lighting, together with all associated site services and works.
This was submitted by Tom Quinn, care of Enplan Consultants Ltd, Tuam Road, Galway.
However, a separate application was lodged by Thomas and Nancy Neilan, care of OPC Design and Planning of Loughrea on May 26.
This application sought temporary permission to build a six-classroom educational building to include staff room, resource rooms, office and toilets to department of education specifications, treatment unit, percolation area and all associated site services, which Thomas and Nancy Neilan state is “in response to another educational provider, who has expressed an interest in opening a school in Kilcolgan”.
The chair of KETNS made a submission to the council concerning the Neilan application in an effort to make clear that while it has no objection to this application, KETNS “has no role in this application”.
However, its consultant, Enplan, made a formal objection to the Neilan application, citing a number of issues that it asserts exist including “incorrect” and “substandard” sitelines. The objection also stated there are effluent treatment issues with the Neilan proposal, as well as design and location issues.
“It is our view that if the development as submitted was permitted it could have serious implications on the health and safety of users of the site and inhabitants of the surrounding area,” concluded Alan Kelly, planning consultant with Enplan Consultants.
The Neilans followed up with a letter to the council in response to the Enplan and KETNS submissions.
“At no point in our application have we ever mentioned Educate Together, Kilcolgan,” the Neilans stated. They added they “do not understand why a private consultancy sees it necessary to submit an objection to a proposed development, which is totally unrelated to their interests. We note that Enplan are the representatives for a planning application on other lands in Kilcolgan for a permanent school building, medical centre and crèche on behalf of Tom Quinn.
“From the comments made by Enplan in their objection, it appears that they are fearful of competition in providing for an educational building in Kilcolgan village. We do not understand what grounds they have for such deliberate interference in our application. We would question what gain do Enplan Consultants have by objecting to our application,” the Neilans retorted.
The Neilan response added, “We find the remainder of Enplan Consultants’ objection unworthy of further comment”, calling the points raised in the Enplan objection “trivial”.
Concluding, the Neilans reiterated that their application is not for Educate Together but “for another educational provider, who has approached us regarding our centrally located site, which has the benefit of proximity to the bus stop, local services of shop and post office and would be a welcome addition to the main thoroughfare in Kilcolgan village centre”.
The Neilans added that they consider the issues raised in the objection “to border on vexatious” and say they are “intended to scaremonger the planning authority”.
“Is it not a positive situation for the village of Kilcolgan and surrounding areas that two educational providers are so interested in locating in our village?” the response concluded. A decision on this application is due later this week.
Separately, at the beginning of this month, Galway County Council wrote to Mr Quinn regarding the KETNS application. They requested further information without which the planning authority could not grant permission for the proposed school, all-weather pitch, crèche, medical consultation rooms and 55-bay car park.
The council requested that Mr Quinn submit a revised traffic impact assessment using the latest NRA growth figures and to confirm the type of barrier it intends to be located at the N18 junction with the cycle and footpath.
The local authority stated that the visibility to the east of the vehicular access point is compromised due to cars parked in the area and requested that the applicant address these issues to ensure continuous and unobstructed vision in an easterly direction.
The council also asked Mr Quinn to submit a revised site layout showing the lands that adjoin the site intended for the KETNS development. No progress can be made on the application until this request for further information is adhered to.