Laois community childcare facility gets green light for expansion
Suiamhneas Community Childcare in Portlaoise has submitted a planning application
A Portlaoise community centre has been granted planning permission to extend their existing crèche.
Portlaoise Community & Family Resource Centre applied to Laois County Council to construct an extension to the community centre to expand Suiamhneas Community Childcare based in the Treo Nua Resource Centre.
The planning application included the reconstruction of a section of the existing boundary wall, external works, drainage, landscaping and all other associated site development works.
The development would create two additional childcare classrooms in the community centre on Harpur’s Lane.
There are currently 18 staff members at Suiamhneas Community Childcare which caters to almost 100 children.
The childcare facility opened its doors in 2011 and runs four daily preschool sessions under the Government’s ECCE scheme, a wobbler and toddler room, as well as afterschool services.
According to the planning documents, the land for the proposed development is being made available by Laois County Council in order to “further support the continued development of this important community childcare facility.”
The documents state: “The proposed extension has been designed to support the future expansion of childcare provision within the community and is intended to facilitate an increase in childcare capacity, subject to all statutory approvals and operational requirements.”
Further Information was requested by the council around the number of children that will be in each classroom. Revised drawings were submitted to identify the floor area of each of the two proposed classrooms as 46.4 m². In addition, the applicant also enclosed a letter from Portlaoise Community & Family Resource Centre confirming that there will be a maximum of 20 children accommodated in each classroom.
Planning permission was granted with nine conditions attached.