Plans to double size of Educate Together school in Newcastle
Plans to almost double the size of the Educate Together National School in Newcastle have been lodged with Galway City Council.
The Minister for Education has submitted plans for a two-storey extension which will comprise eight classrooms, teachers’ rooms, library and set rooms.
There will also be a new access road to a carparking and drop-off facility with 32 spaces, a further 10 spaces in the existing carpark, a new ballcourt, junior play area and landscaped garden.
There will also be a new access road and roundabout to cater for both the new extension and a proposed community centre on an adjacent site.
A roundabout is also proposed at the end of the Moyola Park road to improve traffic flow at the newly-formed junction.
“With regard to the adjoining residents’ association’s site, it will be developed as a community centre with associated parking in the future.
“The use of the proposed community centre parking as additional drop-off and collection has been proposed and agreed among the relevant parties. This has benefits for the residents’ association in that the parking and access to the community centre development can be done as part of the school development, since it will form part of the school’s traffic management strategy.
“The community centre site will also be secured as part of the development, thus preventing unauthorised access to the site. The site will also be levelled and landscaped until such time as the community development takes place thus improving the general surroundings in the area.
“For the school having additional parking and drop-off will improve traffic management in the area in general. It is proposed that the gates to the residents’ association site will be opened in the morning and closed when the school closes,” the application reads.
A decision is expected on the application at the end of September.