Yet another setback in Laytown school"s lengthy fight for a home

Plans for a temporary school building for the newly-opened Coláiste na hInse have hit another setback after an appeal was lodged with Bord Pleanála objecting to the development. This is the second time that an appeal has been lodged against the granting of planning permission for a temporary building for the school. The original application was granted permission by Meath County Council but an appeal was lodged to Bord Pleanála by Laytown resident James Lyons. The appeal was ruled invalid and Bord Pleanála subsequently gave the go-ahead for the development. However, Mr Lyons is taking a judicial review against this decision. County Meath VEC scrapped plans for this site because of the delays associated with the judicial review and put together a new application for the temporary school on an alternative location within the site. Meath County Council granted planning permission for this application for three years, at Betaghstown and Ninch, Laytown. The plans includes a part two-storey, part single-storey temporary building with a total area of 1,722 square metres comprising 12 general classrooms, a science lab, home economics room, art and crafts room, computer room, construction studies room and ancillary accommodation. It was proposed that the temporary school be constructed on a phased basis over two years commencing in year one with all accommodation excluding three general classrooms, which would be added in year two. The works also included the provision for connection into the public sewers, the provision of single-storey ESB sub-station to supply power to the development, 36 car parking spaces, two external ball courts, bicycle spaces and all other associated site works. The car parking spaces would have access off the existing site road leading to Scoil Oilibheir Naofa which is connected to the existing Laytown Road, with a set-down area outside the main gates of the proposed temporary accommodation. However, an appeal against the granting of planning permission was lodged by Mr Lyons on 21st August last which is set to delay the project by several months. The appeal was prepared by Manahan Planners on behalf of Mr Lyons, who owns lands to the south of the application site and states that the application is 'yet another example of a piecemeal, haphazard lodgement of one part of an overall proposal'. It submits that the 'application precedes the finalisation of the road networks that is to serve the development and precedes the publication of a framework plan to guide the overall growth of the area'. It states that the new road and associated structure should be completed before any development takes place in the area, in line with the policy and objectives of the East Meath Local Area Plan and that, according to the policies, no development should be permitted in the area until the framework plan has been approved. It also says that Mr Lyons is concerned that the granting of planning permission will 'prejudice appropriate development in the area including on his lands'. The submission notes that two planning applications to build parts of the centre spinal road were refused by Bord Pleanala, which stated that, in the absence of an overall plan of future use of adjoining lands, it is considered the proposal would be inconsistent with the East Meath Local Area Plan and would 'result in piecemeal development and would represent an inefficient road network which would not realise the overall roads objective for the Local Area Plan'. The appeal states that there is a clear need for an 'integrated approach to devising a proposal to develop a spine road to service the area' and that, to date, there has been no comprehensive approach to the provision of this overall roadway as required by the planning authority. 'During the currency of the application, we asked that the council should ask for an overall master plan for the educational lands so that the eventual layout of all schools in these lands can be seen at this stage. 'This master plan could address the nature of the schools planned for this area, the height and location for the various school buildings, the vehicular and pedestrian access to the various sites, the amount of car parking spaces and set-down spaces likely to be available, and the total number of pupils likely to be accommodated in this complex. However the council did not do so.' It states that a traffic impact analysis should have been the subject of a further information request. The appeal also submits that the lack of footpaths and safe access from existing housing areas will lead to an over use of car journeys by parents, which is contrary to planning policy to encourage children to walk and cycle to school. Mr Lyons"s appeal refers to a condition of planning permission that the hedge-row be set back to the south of the site to provide sight lines and that part of the hedge-row is in his ownership and he had not been asked or consented to such action. 'Furthermore, the council requires the construction of a footpath and public lighting to the south of the site, again involving the use of our client"s land. He has not been asked or consented to this,' it says. A decision is due on the appeal on 22nd December 2008. Coláiste na hInse students started school last Tuesday, 26th August at the Neptune Beach Hotel in Bettystown. Mr Lyons has also recently lodged an appeal against the granting of planning permission for a four-classroom extension to Scoil Oilibheir Naofa, Laytown"s temporary school building, also on the site at Ninch and Betaghstown, Laytown.