Two new schools get the go ahead on Fortunestown Lane
By Aideen O'Flaherty
PLANS for the construction of two new schools on Fortunestown Lane in Saggart have been given the go-ahead by South Dublin County Council.
The Department of Education and Skills lodged the plans last year, outlining the details for the development of a new educational campus of two new school buildings, to be delivered on a phased basis.
The two new schools will be built on this site on Fortunestown Lane opposite the Luas, Saggart terminus
Permission was also sought for the demolition of the four existing four-storey educational/former short stay residential blocks (golf apartments) on the site, to make way for the provision of one part three-storey, 1,000 pupil post-primary school.
The post-primary school is to include a four-classroom special educational needs unit with a gross floor area of 11,331sq.m, a sports hall and all ancillary teacher and pupil facilities.
It is proposed that there will also be a two-storey, 16-classroom primary school and a two-classroom special educational needs unit, a general-purpose hall and all ancillary teacher and pupils’ facilities with a gross floor area of 2,820sq.m in the development.
The plans attracted 16 third-party submissions which raised issues such as traffic, access and a potential flood risk.
The owners of Citywest Hotel and its surrounding lands, Tetrarch Capital, also lodged a detailed objection, which outlined “traffic chaos” as a main concern.
According to their objection, the proposed development would “result in over 300 additional car arrivals at peak rush hour resulting in traffic chaos around the Luas station”.
Tetrarch offered a land swap twice, and then a plot of land free, to the Department so the educational campus could be developed elsewhere in the locality, as they are concerned that the Luas will be cut off from any future residential development on Tetrarch’s Citywest lands (approx. 220 acres).
The council granted permission for the development this month.
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