Plans approved for temporary two-storey building for Firhouse ETSS despite residents concerns

PERMITTED plans for a temporary two-storey school to house Firhouse Educate Together Secondary School on the Old Court Road will cause “absolute chaos” for surrounding residents, according to a councillor.

South Dublin County Council recently granted permission for the development, which is to be housed on the future site of Firhouse ETSS’s permanent school building.

However, the proposal has been met with frustration by residents of the adjoining Ballycullen Green estate, as the sole pedestrian access to the school is to be provided via the estate and vehicular access will be provided by a rural road.

Fianna Fáil councillor for Firhouse-Bohernabreena, Emma Murphy, told The Echo: “The proposal has a pedestrian entrance through Ballycullen Green, which is a private estate.

“It’s a 1,000-pupil school, that will have one way in and one way out, and the fear is that it will become a rat run for the students going up to the school.

“There’s no bus that goes up there, and there’s no footpath on Gunny Hill, the road that leads up to the school.

“There’s no parking and no inlet for parking on Gunny Hill. It’s going to cause absolute chaos.”

Residents also have concerns about the topography of the site and the potential for flooding, according to Cllr Murphy.

As reported in The Echo last June, the school is to move to temporary accommodation on the site of Firhouse Community College for one academic year, starting from the 2021/22 school year this August.

Since opening in 2018, the secondary school, which has no permanent accommodation, has been housed across two primary schools in the area: Firhouse Educate Together and Gaelscoil na Giuise.

In May 2020, the Department of Education announced the acquisition of a 4.45-acre site for the school on the Old Court Road, where the school is to be permanently located.

However, ahead of the permanent school building project for Firhouse ETSS, which is being delivered under the Government’s Design and Build Programme, permission was sought for temporary accommodation at the Old Court Road site.

The planning notice high in the trees

The Minister for Education lodged the planning application for the temporary structure, comprising 10 classrooms and three specialist classrooms including all ancillary teacher and pupil facilities, last May.

Also included in the plans is the provision of an internal vehicular drop-off area and internal circulation routes, 15 surface parking spaces, bicycle parking, ball courts and play areas.

Access to the proposed temporary school will be from the Old Court Road, according to the planning application.

It’s noted in the application that the temporary school will be on a site of approximately 0.86ha, which forms part of a larger 1.77ha landholding earmarked to accommodate a future permanent post-primary school.

Temporary permission for the temporary school building for a period of five years was sought.

South Dublin County Council granted permission for the development last month.

According to a statement that was previously published online by local TDs and representatives, the intention is to move Firhouse ETSS to its permanent site as early as possible in the coming school year, when the interim accommodation is ready.