School will be built despite objection

A DECISION by An Bórd Pleanála to grant planning permission for a new school on land zoned for sport is final, Cork city councillors will be told tonight.

And there are no legal grounds for a judicial review of the decision affecting a portion of the northside’s Tank Field, the city’s legal advice is expected to confirm.

Several councillors are planning to question city manager Joe Gavin on the issue tonight. They are furious with the Bórd’s decision and want to know how it could overturn a vote last year not to rezone a 2.3 acre portion of the 11 acre site for a new school.

Councillors decided as far back as 2005 to sell at an agreed price, and subject to planning, the 2.3 acre site to the Department of Education, which had sought planning permission for a new building for Gaelscoil an Ghoirt Álainn.

A two-thirds majority was needed to change the sports zoning of the site to allow the building proceed. But councillors voted 15-13 last year against rezoning, effectively stalling the project.

The issue has split the council and the local community. The department appealed the decision to the Bórd which ruled that no sports amenity land would be lost. It granted planning permission for the school last week.

Residents are now considering seeking a judicial review of that decision and are expected to attend tonight’s meeting. But speaking ahead of the meeting, Mr Gavin stressed how councillors had previously agreed to sell the site, subject to planning adding that all parties involved in the process followed all legal procedures leaving no grounds for a judicial review.

The Bórd’s decision clears the way for the department to build a 16-classroom school for the gaelscoil which has been accommodated in prefabs of a local GAA club since it opened 15 years ago.

It is hoped the school can be built and open for classes by September 2009.