A NEW school campus that will incorporate a secondary school and the local Gaeilscoil is being proposed for Bandon in what is seen as a major investment in education facilities in the town.
The Catholic Education and Irish Schools Trust (Ceist) is seeking planning permission from Cork County Council for an extension of the existing Coláiste na Toirbhirte, at Cloghmacsimon and a new building for the relocated Gaeilscoil Dhroichead na Banndan on the same site.
According to planning documents, the applicant said both schools are now operating ‘at or near capacity’ and are reliant on a number of temporary accommodation units.
In 2022, Coláiste na Toirbhirte, which had previously been an all-girls school, became co-educational in response to local demographic changes and has a current enrolment of 430 pupils, with a projected long-term increase to 600 pupils.
Gaeilscoil Dhroichead na Banndan, which has a projected enrolment of 372 pupils, is currently renting accommodation in a repurposed swimming pool facility also in Cloghmacsimon.
The planning application notes: ‘The proposed new development, comprising an extension and the creation of a share campus is required to provide permanent, purpose-built classroom accommodation for both schools and will secure the long-term future of both schools on a shared campus that fosters collaboration while respecting each school’s distinct identity.’
They added that the project will allow both schools to ‘continue to provide excellent education in safe, accessible and future-proofed facilities’.
The proposed extension for Coláiste na Toirbhirte comprises 16 general classrooms, multi-media room, music room, two home economics rooms, two construction studies rooms, engineering room, technology room, and three science laboratories.
It will also include staff rooms and a servery kitchenette while a Special Education Needs (SEN) base will see the construction of two classrooms with toilets and safe spaces, multi-activity room, practical activity room, staff toilets, store and an office.
There are plans for a sensory garden and secure hard and soft play areas adjacent to each of the SEN classrooms.
Meanwhile, the new building for Gaeilscoil Dhroichead na Banndan will comprise 12 general classrooms, library and resource area, multi-purpose room, two special education tuition room, administrative office and teachers and staff rooms.
The plans also include a special education needs base including two classrooms, central activities and multi-activity room.
Externally there will be two ball courts and one junior play area as well as a sensory garden
The site works will also include altering two existing vehicular entrances to the Cloghmacsimon public road, a new pedestrian site entrance set back from the N71 Bandon Relief Road.
There are also plans to relocate the existing onsite surface carparking and the provision of additional car parking spaces, roadworks, canopied bicycle parking as well as alteration to existing boundary walls, new fencing, drainage and surface attenuation works, landscaping, site lighting, signage and all associated works.
Permission is sought to demolish four existing ball courts, a water storage tank, 810m of a temporary prefabricated building and ancillary hardstanding and landscaping.
There will also be minor alteration to the existing school building and the construction of two linking canopies.
If approved the new primary school building will be constructed on a brownfield site, located next to the existing post primary school site.
