Breakthrough in Johnstown school saga

The creation of the largest primary school in Meath moved one step closer this week with the decision by Navan Town Council to consider granting permission for a 960-student facility at Johnstown, Navan. The council is to consider a material contravention of its development plan, which would allow it to grant planning permission for a school to Grandbrind Athlumney Ltd, on land which is currently zoned residential. Attempts by the Department of Education and politicians to secure land in the area, which was zoned for the purpose of a school by Navan councillors in 2003, have proved unsuccessful over the last seven years. The move by developers Grandbrind to apply for permission for a school on residentially zoned lands would appear to offer a solution around this impasse. Welcoming the move this week, Navan Fianna Fail councillors Shane Cassells and Tommy Reilly called for the immediate construction of the school when permission is granted. “We are now in a position to grant permission for a purpose-built primary school for nearly 1,000 children in Johnstown and give them the educational facility they deserve,†remarked Cllr Cassells. “It is fantastic news that this move has happened and we now need the Department of Education to honour the commitment they gave that they would provide a school within 18 months of planning permission being granted,†said Cllr Reilly. The news that a proposed site is to be made available was heartily welcomed by school principal, Cllr Jenny McHugh. “The site is very acceptable to all who are interested in the future of this very large school and I look forward eagerly to the day when I see the first signs of building on the site,†she said. The land, which is located at the rear of the Johnstown Wood housing estate, is part of an overall land bank which forms the Local Area Plan (LAP) for Johnstown. This plan is set to be published on Thursday 25th November and will set out the future for the area in terms of the development of schools, community centres and playing pitches. However, the intention to proceed with this school comes ahead of the publication of this plan and, as a result, if the school is to proceed, the nine members of Navan Town Council will have to change their own development plan to allow the school to be built on land which has been previously zoned residential. The primary school would be constructed as a two-storey building containing 32 classrooms and associated areas, including staff offices, libraries, resource rooms and a divisible multipurpose hall. Site development and landscape works are also proposed, including the provision of four ball courts (two for the senior school and two for the junior school) and two hard play areas, one each for the junior and senior schools. Vehicular access to the school grounds would be provided from a new six metre wide distributor road, which connects to the distributor road to the south of Birch Lawn, Athlumney Hall. A footpath and a cycle path are provided alongside the new road and 88 car parking spaces (46 staff and 42 visitor spaces) are to be provided with additional over-flow car parking of 26 spaces being accommodated on the multi-use basketball court to the south of the school buildings. Cllr Cassells said it was crucial the school proceed and that too much time had been wasted already in not providing proper educational facilities for the primary school children of Johnstown. Cllr Reilly said it was only the beginning of the process and that the requirements for a secondary school for the area was still crucial, with, he claimed, over 300 girls unable to attain a place in the local girls' secondary schools for the term beginning in September 2011. The deadline for submissions on the planning application is 9th December and councillors will consider the planning report at their January meeting.