Cobh school secures planning for major new build 

Plans for a major new school building for Carrignafoy Community College in Cobh have been given the green light by Cork County Council.

Planning permission has been granted for the demolition of the existing single-storey school buildings and their replacement with a new 8,982 sq m post-primary school designed to cater for 600 students.

The development will provide 23 general classrooms, six specialist classrooms, four science laboratories, three technology rooms, two art rooms, two home economics rooms and a four-class special educational needs unit.

The new school will also include a PE hall, library, dining area, fitness suite, staff facilities, pupil social spaces and a sensory garden. Solar panels will be installed on the roof as part of the project.

Outdoor works include four hard play courts, retention of the existing grass playing pitch and all-weather sports surface, 58 car parking spaces, 172 bicycle parking spaces, a relocated school entrance, upgraded boundary treatments and new footpaths and public realm works along Carrignafoy Avenue.

The application attracted submissions, including one from Cobh Tidy Towns, which backed the long-awaited redevelopment but called for stronger biodiversity measures. 

The group urged the incorporation of swift nesting bricks into the new building, greater protection for mature trees, the use of native hedgerow species, and safeguards to ensure continued community access to the athletics track. 

It also argued that the proposed 2.1-metre galvanised fence should be replaced with a lower, less industrial-looking boundary treatment.

During the planning process, Cork County Council sought additional information on pedestrian safety, road safety measures, footpath layouts and biodiversity proposals, including the positioning of swift, sparrow and bat boxes. 

Planners were subsequently satisfied that the outstanding issues had been addressed or could be dealt with through planning conditions.