Bishop of Waterford granted conditional planning permission for three new primary school buildings
The two schools are located off Military Road in Waterford City
Waterford City and County Council have granted conditional planning permission for the construction of three new single-storey school buildings at Holy Family Junior School and Our Lady of Mercy Senior Primary School.
The proposed development in Holy Family includes three mainstream classes, a special classroom, and a soft play area.
Our Lady of Mercy will see the introduction of a new special classroom and a soft play area, as well as a new fence and gates around the school’s playground.
Construction activity shall be limited to 8 am-7 pm from Monday-Friday and 8 am-2 pm on Saturday. Construction is prohibited on Sundays and bank holidays.
Other conditions laid out by the Council provide for the proper disposal and collection of waste material, and information on details of materials, textures and colours intended to be used on the building.
Writing on behalf of the Bishop of Waterford and Lismore Alphonsus Cullinan, Horizon Technical Services said the development would help cater to the increasing demand for special classrooms.
The development attracted one submission from a resident who lives in the close vicinity of the school, Breda Shanahan.
Ms Shanahan raised concerns that the development could lead to an invasion of privacy via a new pedestrian entrance, and called for timeframes to regulate the use of the new buildings outside of school hours.
Ms Shanahan said the development should also prompt the Council to seek a permanent solution to “a seagull colony” that lives on the schools' roofs. =
“The population now peaks at 25-30 birds and chicks in July and August, when the school is closed, and neighbours are subject to the awful situation of living under a colony of aggressive seagulls,” Ms Shanahan wrote.
“Limited measures- banning foods in playgrounds and a roof power wash with partial nest removal on 20th February this year (after a six-year wait)- have not resolved the issue as the birds still inhabit the roofs.”
No conditions on dealing with the seagull issue were included in the Council’s decision.
