boyle local area plan 2012 - 2018 - Roscommon County Council

PART II: DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY FOR 2012 – 2018 & BEYOND Chapter 4: Social & Community Facilities
4.2.2 Schools & Educational Facilities
The provision of education and its associated facilities has an integral role to play
in developing sustainable and balanced communities.
The existence of such facilities can increase the attractiveness of an area for
business and families. Roscommon County Council has no direct responsibility for
the provision of education and decisions regarding the future requirements for
education facilities are primarily the responsibility of the Department of Education
and Skills. There is however, an onus on the Council to reserve sufficient lands to
meet the likely future demands for community facilities including education.
There are currently three primary schools in Boyle; the Convent of Mercy Primary
School, St. Joseph’s Primary School and the Parochial National School. Abbey
Community College is the Secondary School in Boyle, and it opened in September
2002 following the amalgamation of Scoil Chriost an Ri, St Mary’s College and
Boyle Vocational School. Abbey Community College/Coláiste na Mainistreach is a
co-educational community college operating under the trusteeship of Co.
Roscommon Vocational Education Committee. Abbey Community College is the
only second level school in Boyle, North Roscommon, facilitating both urban and
rural based students. The school presently educates approximately 427 students and
serves a wide catchment area well beyond the LAP boundaries. Enrolment
projections for the next five years indicate an average intake of 94 student’s p.a.
Schools should be located on easily accessible sites and applications for education
developments will be expected to meet the Council’s Standards with regard to carparking,
building design, landscaping and access for people with disabilities. These
standards will be applicable whether the proposed development is for a new
educational facility or an extension to an existing resource. New facilities should be
located, where possible, close to or within the main residential areas in order to
reinforce a sense of community and to ensure that walking, cycling and public
transport are suitable options. Table 4 details the provision of schools in relation to
the phasing of development which is proposed in Chapter 8 Urban Development &
Design.
Table 3: Proposed Education Provision within the Boyle LAP area
Education Provision Phase 1 Phase 2 Phase 3
Area of land (acres)* 21.57 22.83 23.55
Additional dwellings 172 183 188
at 8-12 units per acre
(8 per acre/20 per ha
assumed)
Additional dwellings 430 457 471
(@2.5 persons per
dwelling –
RPGs,2010)
Additional children of 51 54 56
primary school going
age (11.9% of
population)
Additional
Classrooms required
(@28 pupils per class)
2 2 2
Suggested site size
(@1.22Ha/3 acres for
12-31 classrooms &
2.03Ha/ 5 acres for 32
classrooms)
Additional children of
post primary age
(8.5% of population)
Additional
Classrooms required
(@ 28 pupils per
teacher/class)
Suggested site
size(@4.8 Ha/12 acres
for schools of 600-800
pupils)
Possible small
scale extension of
existing schools
indicated above
Small scale
extension of
existing schools
indicated above
Small scale
extension of
existing
schools
indicated above
36 39 40
1-2 1-2 1-2
Extension of
existing school,
accommodate
within existing
school buildings
Extension of
existing school,
accommodate
within existing
school buildings
*Refer to Phasing table in Chapter 8: Urban Development
Possible
Extension to
existing
Community
School
facilities
Boyle Local Area Plan 2012-2018 Page 38