New Mayo school facing further uncertainty

PARENTS hoping to have their infants studying in a new Educate Together primary school at Marsh House, Castlebar, in early September have had their hopes dashed.

Mayo County Council had granted planning permission for the facility in the listed building – which served as a base for Castlebar Town Council for many years – but that decision has been appealed to An Bord Pleanála.

This means the plan has been stonewalled, at least for the time being.

However, the Educate Together organisation is insisting they have a 'Plan B' in place as a contingency measure.

“The school will definitely open in September as planned,” said Jarlath Munnelly, regional representative of Educate Together.

“We had a contingency plan in place in case there was an appeal against the council's planning decision.”

Mr. Munnelly declined to state what the back up location is but did say he expected seven or eight pupils to be at their desks in two weeks' time.

He has expressed confidence that in the long term An Bord Pleanála will rule against the objector to the proposal and that the school will eventually be located at Marsh House.

The objection to the granting of planning permission for the change of use of Marsh House, a protected structure at Newtown, Castlebar, has been lodged by Frank Durcan, a member of Mayo County Council. Councillor Durcan has objected on a number of grounds.

He is asking that the application be judged null and void because the two public notices on Marsh House 'do not specify the name of the planning authority to which the application was lodged'. He also says the notices do not specify where the application could be inspected.

Councillor Durcan also says he takes it as a reserved function of the members of Castlebar Municipal District to consider the change of use of a listed protected building prior to the executive granting planning permission.

The appeals board are to make a decision by December 12 next.

The process to provide an Educate Together school in Castlebar is proving long and tortuous. Initial plans to locate the school at the old Burren N.S. were abandoned after objections to the location from parents of prospective students.

Subsequently, Marsh House came into the equation for consideration.