Green light for new special needs classrooms at Laois school

A Laois school has been granted permission to build two new SNE classrooms. 

The Board of Management Shanganamore National School applied for permission for an extension in November last year. 

The planning application was backed by  Laois TD Sean Fleming, who wrote to the council asking that the plans be given attention as he said the classrooms were “badly needed” at the school in Barrowhouse. 

The application sought to  “construct a new single-storey pitched roof rear extension and flat roof link corridors (gross floor area 570 sq.m) and all associated site works, drainage works and ancillary works.” 

The school held a preplanning meeting with Laois County Council in July and the ground was prepared for the development before an application was lodged for planning. 

In a letter in November, an architect for the Board of Management stated that:  “We wish to clarify that at the time of lodging this application, the site is being prepared to receive 2no. SEN classrooms which make up a part of this planning application. Independently, these classrooms are considered ‘Exempted Development’ for a period of five years under Class 20D as per S.I. No. 114 of 2021.

At the time of writing, the classrooms are not yet on site therefore retention of these has not been sought, however we acknowledge they will be on site by the time the decision of this application is determined,” they said. 

"We assume that a grant of the enclosed application would essentially grant the retention of these units, and in the event that this application is refused permission, retention permission would be applied for within the required timeframe under a separate application.

This strategy has been followed to ensure there is no delay to the rapid delivery of much needed SEN accommodation,” the architect explained. 

Laois County Council approved the plan for the extension and  two new SNE(Special Needs Education)  classrooms subject to 11 conditions on January 7, 2025.