Louisburgh priest lodges appeal against school expansion

Louisburgh priest lodges appeal against school extension


Anton McNulty

The Parish Priest in Louisburgh has called on the local secondary school to change their plans for the school’s redevelopment after objecting to the proposed plans.
Sancta Maria College were granted planning permission in April for the development of the school but those plans were appealed to An Bord PleanΡla by local priest, Fr Martin Long, whose parochial house adjoins the school boundary.
The redevelopment plan for Sancta Maria College in Louisburgh involves the demolition of an existing prefab structure and part of the existing building to make way for the construction of a new extension and the refurbishment of the existing building.
In his proposal outlining the appeal, Fintan Morrin, of The Planning Partnership on behalf of Fr Long, explained that because funding has not yet been granted for the redevelopment, he believed there is ‘an opportunity to rectify the fundamental design and layout concerns without jeopardising the principle of the School’s expansion’.
“For instance, were the Board [An Bord PleanΡla] to refuse permission as is sought herein, and such refusal reasons provided an element of guidance regarding design and layout principles, we consider that any subsequent application to Mayo County Council which adhered to such principles would likely be granted, and would likely have the support of the appellant,” wrote Fintan Morrin.
When the proposed development went before Mayo County Council for consideration, Fr Long expressed reservations about the proposed development and its location close to his residence, while acknowledging the need for an adequate building for the staff and pupils. He felt the location of the development close to his residence would ‘totally erode any semblance of privacy that exits to the rear and side of my residence’.
However, Mayo County Council granted planning permission for the development on April 15 last and Fr Long subsequently lodged an appeal earlier this month.
In the appeal, it stated that Fr Long was not satisfied that the local Planning Authority took due regard to the impact of the proposed development ‘both in terms of the impact on residential amenity in the area and the impact of the proper planning and sustainable development of the area, in particular the architectural heritage of the area’.
He added that the appellant wished to emphasise there was no objection in principle to the extension or expansion of the school but considered the design and layout as unacceptable.
The case is due to be decided by September 15 next.