West Wicklow school expansion blocked over wastewater concerns

By Hugh O'Farrell Walsh, The Wicklow People

Plans to significantly expand Blessington Educate Together National School have hit a major roadblock after Wicklow County Council formally refused planning permission for a new multi-classroom extension.

The decision deals a blow to parents and staff who have long campaigned to replace temporary prefabs with permanent, state-of-the-art facilities. The proposed development at the Red Lane site aimed to nearly triple the school’s footprint, increasing the floor area from 317sqm to over 900sqm.

The centre piece of the application was a dedicated two-classroom Special Education Unit designed to support students with additional needs, including autism. The plans also included a new mainstream classroom, an extended staff room, a sensory garden, a secure soft play area, and a new vehicular set-down area to ease traffic congestion during the morning drop-off.

Crucially, the project would have seen the removal of existing modular accommodation units, moving the school toward a fully permanent campus.

Despite the clear educational need, the council’s planning department refused the application on a single, highly technical ground: wastewater management.

According to the official refusal order, the school’s site characterisation tests, which determine if the ground can safely process sewage and runoff, were outdated. The council noted that the trial holes and percolation tests were conducted in 2020, but the final assessment was not signed off until 2026.

The refusal highlights a growing trend in west Wicklow, where aging infrastructure frequently clashes with the need for population growth. The nearby Blessington Community College only received its green light for a permanent 1,000-pupil building in May 2024 after years of similar overcrowding and prefab use.

Blessington has seen several large-scale projects stalled recently due to water and sewerage constraints, particularly given the town's proximity to the Poulaphouca Reservoir. The council are extremely cautious about effluent disposal.

While the Blessington Local Area Plan identifies the expansion of educational facilities as a priority, it also mandates "the utmost protection of water quality”. While the town's central wastewater plant was recently upgraded to a 9,000 population capacity, outlying rural sites like Red Lane remain dependent on individual septic systems that must meet strict, updated EPA 2021 standards.

The Board of Management now have four weeks to appeal the decision to An Coimisiún Pleanála. However, because the refusal is based on technical data gaps, a more likely route may be to commission a fresh site characterisation assessment. This would involve digging new trial holes to meet 2026 standards and redesigning the wastewater system to satisfy the council’s concerns.

For now, students and staff will continue to operate out of the existing building and modular units as the wait for a permanent home continues.