Approval given for modern replacement building at Tipperary school
A Tipperary secondary school is set to get a new extension after plans were approved by the local authority.
The board of management of St Anne’s Secondary School on Rosanna Road in Tipperary town applied to Tipperary County Council for planning permission to develop a new single-storey school building, with two special education needs classrooms, a multipurpose room and a graphics design lab, and toilet facilities.
The plans would also see the demolition of an existing prefab building on the site, which has been in use since 1984, as well as a new fenced soft play area, an accessible parking space, connections to public utility and drainage services.
The existing school comprises a number of buildings constructed at various times over the past 150 years, according to an architectural report submitted in support of the planning application.
Adjacent to the school are two protected buildings - the Mercy Sisters Convent, and the Convent Chapel, both built in the 1800s.
The proposed new building will be the same size as the current prefabs on the site, and will be located in the same place, once they have been demolished, according to planning reports.
“It is single storey in form, and sited to the rear of St. Anne’s School in order to have a minimal visual and physical impact on the existing protected structures,” the report states.
The report says that the temporary prefab building was installed in 1984, but that it is no longer suitable for classroom use.
“Owing to its age and temporary nature, the building no longer meets current standards for educational accommodation, including compliance with Building Regulations and universal access requirements. The building is currently not suitable for classroom use and is used for storage,” the report states.
Planning permission was granted for the development, subject to seven conditions.
Among the conditions are that the works be overseen by a qualified conservation architect, and that all surface water from the site will be disposed of within the site, and not discharge onto the public road.
The council also stipulated that noise and dust be kept to a minimum and that the roads and footpaths surrounding the school will be kept clean while work is being carried out, and that all excavated waste be reused where possible, and only be disposed of at an authorised location.
The approval clears the way for the replacement of a prefab building that has stood on the site for more than 40 years.