Council expels plans for temporary secondary school in Ballincollig

The department had sought temporary permission for the car park school for a period of no longer than five years.

Principal Nicola Barrett said the planning decision won't affect enrolment plans for next year. (Left to right) Le Chéile teaching staff, front row: Kelly O'Neill, Stephanie Coffey, Nicola Barrett (Principal) and Aoife Barry-Murphy. Back row: Kate McCarthy, Peter Cregan, Adam Kelly, Cillian Brennan and Tony Lee (Chairperson, Board of Management).

Plans for a temporary secondary school on the grounds of a GAA club have been shot down, highlighting a schools site crisis in a Cork suburb.

Cork City Council cited four reasons for its refusal to grant planning to the Department of Education for two double-storey prefabs on a portion of the main car park at Ballincollig GAA club, to accommodate the Le Chéile Ballincollig secondary school which opened last September in the former Cork Film Centre building nearby.

The department, which is still working to secure a permanent site for the secondary school, had sought temporary permission for the car park school for a period of no longer than five years.

But in their decision, city council planners said the proposed development would constitute “over-development” of the site having regard to the requirement to displace the main car-parking area associated with Ballincollig GAA.

They said the proposed development is considered to be “overly excessive in scale” for a temporary school development and also ad hoc in terms of its site layout.

“The lack of provision of open space and amenities normally associated with the provision of a school facility of this scale is of concern,” they said.

“The proposed development would seriously reduce the parking space available for all users of the facilities of Ballincollig GAA club, would result in parking on the adjoining public road and would endanger public safety by reason of traffic hazard and obstruction of road users.

“The proposed development would endanger public safety by reason of traffic hazard because the road network in the area is inadequate to cater satisfactorily for the extra traffic movements likely to be generated by the proposed development.” 

Principal Nicola Barrett expressed disappointment at the planning decision.

"But it won't affect enrolment plans for next year or the development of the school," she said.

The department, which has been asked to comment, announced Le Chéile Trust last year as the patron of the new 1,000-pupil co-ed secondary school in Ballincollig but it has yet to secure a permanent site for the school.

The school opened in September in the refurbished Cork Film Centre which is located close to Ballincollig GAA club.

The department has also yet to secure a permanent site for Gaelscoil An Chaisleáin which has been based in temporary accommodation on the grounds of the town’s rugby club since 2017.