Residents concerns with zoning and locations of two schools site
By Laura Lyne
APPEALS have been submitted to An Bord Pleanala on a planning application that will see the development of two permanent primary schools buildings on a site located at Ballycullen Drive in Firhouse.
The school buildings have been proposed to give a permanent home to Gaelscoil na Giúise and Firhouse Education Together, which have been housed in two temporary schools buildings on the site since the beginning of the school year.
Both strong support and objection to the development has been voiced by local residents within the past two years, during both the Part 8 process for disposal of the site and the planning stage for the development.
Two appeals were submitted to An Bord Pleanala, and raised concerns with the location and zoning of the site, the impact the schools will have on traffic and the re-location of a football pitch for Firhouse Carmel FC.
Concerns were also raised about the impact the development will have on an oak tree and hedgerows in the area and the “excessive” amount of primary schools that have been proposed to be developed in the local area over the coming years.
The first appeal was submitted by a group known as Concerned Firhouse Residents which had previously made a submission on the original planning application to South Dublin County Council and made a submission in response to the Draft County Development Plan.
In its appeal, the Concerned Firhouse Residents said that the development of the schools is “in conflict with the zoning objective of the development plan to preserve and provide the lands for open space recreational amenities”.
An appeal was also made by two local residents who live in the Woodlawn Park estate and it raised additional concerns relating to misinformation to councillors who voted on the Part 8 proposal for the site, the lack of communication with residents and the rushed timescales of the development.
It said: “There is a strong feeling among our councillors that education projects are a forgone conclusion in the planning process no matter how flawed.
“We do not believe this is the case however and expect all zoned sites to be developed and utilised in any area before community green spaces are sold for profit.”
A decision on the case from An Bord Pleanala is due by May 11.
