The Department of Education has said it is "imperative" for Louth County Council to make provision for both primary and post-primary schools in its masterplan for a major extension to Drogheda.
Louth TD Arthur Morgan (SF) has backed the department's call, saying "we don't want to see the complete planning catastrophe that has been allowed to occur in east Meath being mirrored on the north side of Drogheda".
Under the draft Drogheda North Environs Local Area Plan, it is envisaged that 7,100 new homes would be built to cater for an additional population of more than 19,000. The town's current population is estimated at 30,000.
Last May, the department told the county council that the educational requirement for the extended area would be four sites of three acres each for primary schools and a further two sites, each between 10 and 12 acres, for post-primary schools.
However, as currently drafted, the masterplan provides only three 2.4-acre sites for primary schools and makes no provision for post-primary schools within the area - even though existing schools in Drogheda would be unable to cater for the overspill.
In a submission to Louth County Council on the draft masterplan, the Department of Education said these schools "would not have sufficient capacity to meet the demand for pupil places that would arise from the developments being proposed".
Brian O'Connell, of the department's school planning section, said it was therefore "imperative that its recommendations for site reservations at primary and post-primary level . . . are reflected in the masterplan for North Drogheda Environs".
Last week, the 12-member Drogheda Borough Council unanimously passed a motion tabled by Cllr Dom Wilton (SF) calling on the council to ensure the provision of full educational requirements in the area covered by the masterplan. There was acrimony over Mr Wilton's proposal that there should be an inquiry into how the plan was so deficient on educational provision.
He said it was "frightening" that the area covered by the masterplan was almost as big as Drogheda itself. Yet the planners were only prepared to designate sites for post-primary schools on the far side of a proposed northern cross road. But Willie Walsh, senior executive officer in Louth County Council's planning department, said a previous plan for the area had also envisaged that these schools would be provided in close proximity to green areas for playing pitches.
He said about 50 submissions - including one from the Department of Education - had been received on the draft masterplan and these, together with the planners' response, would be considered by the county council, probably at its May meeting.
A lot of effort had gone into preparing the masterplan, which was prepared by O'Mahony Pike Architects. It would have three distinct areas, including some higher density housing in neighbourhood centres, and provision for cycle routes. Most of the land involved is owned by a consortium of property developers and local landowners. "The legal procedures for making a local area plan have been followed scrupulously and nothing has been hidden from anybody."
Locked out: why 200 children in Dublin 15 have no school place: page 12
Editorial comment: page 17
