COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

South Dublin County Council Crest

MEETING OF LUCAN AREA COMMITTEE

Tuesday, April 23, 2013

MOTION NO. 18

MOTION: Councillor G. O'Connell

"That this committee requests Management to include local residents in any consultations that take place as part of the Councils' role in identifying school sites in the LAC area and in bringing forward plans for new routes to new and existing schools and other facilities within this Area Committee."

REPORT:

The Department of Education and Skills has identified that there is an urgent need to accommodate an additional 45,000 primary school pupils and almost 25,000 post primary schools pupils nationally by 2017/2018. The level of increased demand will require that many of the permanent solutions will be needed within three years. On June 1st 2012 a Memorandum of Understanding between the Department of Education and Skills and the County and City Managers’ Association for the Acquisition of Sites for School Planning came into effect. South Dublin County Council has been working closely with the Department of Education and Skills to acquire sites to deliver urgently required primary schools in the County, at the following locations:

Following consultation with the DES in May / June 2012 a refined shortlist of possible sites in each location was drawn up and site valuations were finalised in July / August 2012. SDCC is pursuing the acquisition of these sites, in an expedient manner reflecting the urgent requirement for permanent schools at the above locations, including at Lucan. SDCC has identified sites for permanent schools based on the following criteria:

·         Being located where there is a demand for school places;

·         Meeting the technical requirements of the DES;

·         Meeting sustainable development and proper planning criteria; and

·         Meeting the technical requirements of the Council, including traffic / water and drainage / etc.

The Valuers, working on behalf of SDCC, are currently in negotiations with landowners of the preferred permanent sites with the aim that permanent schools will be opened by September 2015/2016. Planning applications will be lodged by the DES for schools on the sites as soon as possible following acquisition.

SDCC will continue to work closely with the DES in relation to anticipating demand for new schools infrastructure that will arise from new development within the drafting process for development plans and local area plans, and through these plans, will facilitate the identification of suitable lands to meet the need fro new schools or expansion of existing schools to serve new or expanding communities. Such plans are subject to rigorous public consultation.

South Dublin County Council, in conjunction with the National Transport Authority (NTA), has in recent years proposed short walking and cycling routes to serve local neighbourhoods across the County, to encourage people to leave the car at home for local trips by bringing more households within walking and cycling distance to local amenities and services. To date, all permeability projects both proposed and constructed in all parts of the County have been subject to rigorous and in-depth public consultation. The views of local residents and locally elected members in each area have been actively canvassed. The public consultation methods utilised within the Permeability Project programme are part of a process that the National Transport Authority hopes can be replicated elsewhere.

Providing walking/cycling links to schools that decrease travel distances, particularly within a 400 -800m radius, can encourage walking and cycling. The aim is to promote more sustainable forms of transport, encourage walking and cycling as an alternative mode of transport to the car, reduce traffic congestion and encourage healthy lifestyles which are particularly important to develop in formative years as it has the potential to reduce childhood obesity and can establish a lifetime pattern of travel behaviour.