"Housing, housing, housing, and still no schools", says Local Cllr
Questions are being raised about Kildare County Council’s approach to school planning in Sallins, as it emerges that land zoned for education use is entirely in private ownership.
Despite Sallins seeing its population increase by about 500 people every year, no publicly owned site has been secured for the construction of a new primary or secondary school.
Cllr Bill Clear has questioned how the town is expected to meet growing education needs when the designated sites are not even in the council’s control.
Two sites - known as E1 and E2 in the Sallins Local Area Plan - have been zoned for ‘Community and Education’ use since 2016.
But both are privately owned.
One of the sites had already been put forward by developers for housing - but that application was refused.
Council officials said the zoning allows for schools to be permitted "in principle" and that the Department of Education is ultimately responsible for delivering new facilities.
The council said one of the sites has been specifically identified for the long-term expansion of the primary school.
The current primary school in Sallins is at maximum capacity.
“We’re zoning land for schools that we don’t own. There’s no joined-up thinking - it’s housing, housing, housing, and still no schools," Cllr Clear said.
Kildare Filling Stations Among The More Than 100 Out Of Fuel
Cost Of Solar Panels In Kildare Falls By 39% Since 2020
Water Outage In Place For Maynooth And Straffan Tomorrow
Kfm Obituary Notices
Nationwide Fuel Protest Continues Into Third Day
"I Don't Think Anybody Is Going To Really Listen To Us Until Somebody Dies On That Road": Criticism Of Moone-Timolin Cycleway Continues
International Wholesale Prices Are "Not Price Gouging", Says CCPC
Costs Of Home Heating Oil Up By 67.5 Per Cent Between February and March
