Virginia school extension appealed

Plans for a major extension to Virginia College have been appealed to An Bord Pleanála.

The appeal was received by the national planning authority last month, and acknowledged when ETB board members met recently at The Workhouse in Carrickmacross.

Newly appointed Director of Organisation Support and Development (OSD), Karen McBride, who succeeded Berni Power in the role following her retirement in February, provided the update.

“We must await the outcome of that appeal before progressing,” she told board members.

Virginia College was given the green light by Cavan County Council last March to add 11 classrooms and other specialist classrooms.

Current enrolment at the school is over 800 students, with a capacity for 1,000 pupils and 85 staff once the project is completed.

The contested build requires the demolition of the existing 1960 school (1793 sq m) to make way for two new ball courts, 24 bicycle stands and other associated site works.

However, planning files revealed strong wishes that the original college be retained and incorporated into new development plans.

Many of the more than half dozen submissions received by council planners highlighted how, in a first-of-a-kind move, local farmers allowed the deeds of their farms and homes to be held as guarantees for a £20,000 loan.

The school was later handed over to the Department of Education and Cavan VEC “so that future generations of their community could receive post-primary education”.

Since its foundation in 1962, the Virginia school has been extended three times. The first was a GP Hall extension in 1988; the second in 2006; and a third time in 2012.

The larger proposed three-storey extension to the east will run to over 4,500 square metres and connect to the existing 2006 school extension. It will incorporate the Special Educational Needs base on the ground floor with 11 new classrooms and specialist classrooms on the first and second floors.

The second smaller extension to the south (82 sq m) extends from the 1988 extension and will contain the General Purpose hall and ancillary spaces.

Third party appellants listed in the ABP appeal include Paddy McNamee, Maria O'Reilly, John O'Reilly, Yvonne Kilkenny, and former Fine Gael County Councillor Patrick O'Reilly and family.

The case is due to be decided by early August.

It was hoped that the Virginia build, without objections, might have started before the end of the summer months.

A contractor has been approved and appointed to install temporary accommodation, to include one general classroom and enabling works for Special Education Needs provision at Virginia College.

This work is expected to be completed in August, in time for the new school year.

Ms McBride said the modular development would still go ahead, as it's required to address capacity issues at the school.