The Bish move to Dangan

23-03-2023 6:02pm #1

Looks like this is finally happening

https://galwaybayfm.ie/galway-bay-fm-news-desk/public-meeting-to-unveil-plans-for-new-school-for-the-bish/

A brief history...

Originally proposed back in the early 2000's
Killed by the council not zoning the land in the 2005 development plan
Zoning completed in 2017 development plan
Design team appointed in 2020
Public information events kicking off 28-Mar-2023

In 2020 they reckoned it'd be open by 2025, I think thats optimistic but maybe it possible. If this has to go anywhere near ABP the timeframe will be shot to pieces

I look forward to hearing from the nimby local action group about the perils of allowing the school to be built (there was an active group in the area back in 2015 bending any ear they could get to listen)

thebackbar · 23-03-2023 7:43pm

Speaking as a past pupil Isn't it going to be a lot harder to get to for people who used the bus to get to school ?

minimary · 23-03-2023 9:02pm

I thought with the whole 15 minute city thing that they would try and keep schools in the city rather than move them further out.

I wonder have they had to change the plans much post covid, you would imagine that any new school built would need to be able to accommodate social distancing in classrooms etc.

I expect given the ABP backlog and that the locals in Dangan are opposed that this is years off being approved yet. Given how vocal the locals were in opposition, I wouldn't be surprised if it is approved if it goes all the way to JR

what_traffic · 24-03-2023 10:02am

Big change for the School - over 150 years in Nuns Island. Good luck to them.

The Bish have about 750 students - presume students are coming from ALL over the City and further afield?

Where does the new plans fit in, in relation to the GRR, is the School near this GRR corridor path?

Hopefully the Greenway to Moycullen is in place when the NEW School opens.

Mrs OBumble · 24-03-2023 10:09am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120393338#Comment_120393338

Not many children live within 15 minutes walk in their present location either.

Whether Dangan (or any suburban area) is a good location or not really depends on how intelligent their enrolment policies have been over the last five years, and how good they are at making school transport available.

I certainly won't miss the groups on them who roam the city streets at lunchtime. Have never understood how the school allows so many off site, seemingly just go get junk food.

Re social distancing in classrooms. Gone AFAIK: it's not workable with kids / group work anyway, and there's no real evidence that it makes much difference. Proper ventilation should be required in any new-build, goodness only knows if it will be.

minimary · 24-03-2023 10:24am

No plans yet but the renderings are available here https://www.bishrelocation.com/

Looks great as all renderings always do

Funny you mention about them out roaming the streets at lunchtimes @Mrs OBumble it looks like from what they say on that website that they'll be expected not to go out for lunch "Increased circulation, socialisation, and sporting spaces with links to an outdoor amphitheatre, allowing all pupils to remain on site during the school day."

Geuze · 24-03-2023 10:32am

Where in Dangan is the site?

Are there any plans for the existing site?

24-03-2023 10:45am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120394749#Comment_120394749

Up near the Uni sports grounds somewhere. Its basically a land swap with the Uni who have big plans for the whole Nuns Island area

The big benefits for the Bish are new facility, more space, free use of all the Uni sports facilities etc

24-03-2023 10:48am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120394719#Comment_120394719

Based on the info on that site it looks like they are submitting the planning application next month. The public info events really are nothing more than that so, that will get a rise out of the Dangan "nobody consulted us" elite

minimary · 24-03-2023 10:56am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120394749#Comment_120394749

I could be wrong but I remember the site entrance being in between Chestnut lane and Aughnacurra so a very narrow entrance and then the bulk of the land is beside the NUIG soccer pitch https://www.google.com/maps/place/53%C2%B017'31.7%22N+9%C2%B005'04.1%22W/@53.2921522,-9.0866717,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m4!3m3!8m2!3d53.292149!4d-9.084483

So its a fine site but the access from the road to it will have a major impact on those houses

what_traffic · 24-03-2023 11:10am

Spotted this on Galway Bay FM

24 March 2023

https://galwaybayfm.ie/galway-bay-fm-news-desk/seanad-hears-up-to-900-on-waiting-lists-across-five-galway-city-schools/

"

He cites there are around 100 on lists for Coláiste Mhuire Mhaithair, Educate Together, Coláiste Iognaid and The Bish, while there are 360 on the Coláiste Éidne list alone.

"

24-03-2023 12:45pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120394837#Comment_120394837

Isn't the route for the proposed ring road running along there somewhere? Some of those houses and some of the soccer pitches are said to be impacted.

minimary · 24-03-2023 1:00pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120395349#Comment_120395349

Yeah it runs right beside the proposed site if I remember correctly

what_traffic · 24-03-2023 2:28pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120394719#Comment_120394719

Would have thought site layout would have been a basic of the website site. Perhaps all will be revealed at the open day at the Ardilaun 28th March 13h00->20h00 (https://www.bishrelocation.com/latest-news)

Re impact. Won't be anything like what the Councils are proposing in Aughnacurra for the GRR. Think it was 7-8 houses that are proposed to be demolished

24-03-2023 3:43pm

For reference, the GCRR affected areas are marked below

kabakuyu · 24-03-2023 4:01pm

It will be interesting to see how this plans out,access to sports facilities is a huge plus, as a past pupil I used to hate the journey to the swamp for sports, and that obligatory "Dyke run" that everybody hated,but good luck to the school for the future, I had always thought they would stay in Nuns island but that they would utilise the vacant Pres college behind them(maybe UCG have plans for that as well).

One concern that I would have going forward is that UCG would possibly have undue influence over the Nuns island locality and that in the future public access would be curtailed, this cannot be allowed happen.

24-03-2023 4:59pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120396337#Comment_120396337

One concern that I would have going forward is that UCG would possibly have undue influence over the Nuns island locality and that in the future public access would be curtailed, this cannot be allowed happen.

I don't think, legally speaking, they would be able to extinguish such an established right of way. Besides, the Uni haven't restricted any access to their main grounds so I'm unsure why you think they would do so in Nuns Island. Can you expand on your concern?

kabakuyu · 24-03-2023 6:49pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120396591#Comment_120396591

Nothing specific but if I recall correctly UCG did have an action plan for the area,was there not plans for a gated graduate community or did I remember incorrectly.A dominant land holder in an area usually calls the shots and leads the way on development, input from existing residents may be overlooked and while the action plan may be comprehensive and well meaning it usually serves the dominant land owner first and foremost. Nuns island is an integral part of the city and I would hope that there is no curtailment on the publics right of way.

https://www.universityofgalway.ie/media/buildingsoffice/files/Nuns-Island-Masterplan-Design-Brief-Web-Publish.pdf

fergiesfolly · 24-03-2023 7:10pm

Was one of the lunchtime roamers back in the 80s. Up to Pats chipper on Cross street. Had to let us out at lunchtime to let off some steam or there would've been carnage in the afternoon. Seem to recall a couple of teachers heading to the Galway Arms at lunch for something similar.

It's a city institution but it's long outgrown it's home and needs the space in Dangan to develop. In my day it had lads from all over the city and a good few from outside as well. Being so central made it easy to get to. Hopefully they put in the transport links so that remains in the new school.

24-03-2023 8:04pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120397028#Comment_120397028

Yeah I wouldn't be worrying. They wouldn't stand a chance of extinguishing an active RoW that is centuries old.

That doesn't exclude them from having a gated area though.

kabakuyu · 24-03-2023 8:12pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120397263#Comment_120397263

Thats good to know,I have a selfish interest in that part of town I always harboured a desire to live on the grounds of the poor claires(if the Nuns ever left) but no doubt UCG will have that wrapped up should it happen.the nicest area in the city IMO.

minimary · 29-03-2023 8:35am

They have the detailed plans up on the website in a virtual consultation room https://www.bishrelocation.com/. It actually has a lot more road frontage than I thought, I thought they only had a path in and then the site was behind the soccer field up its actually in front of it

29-03-2023 10:29am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120414130#Comment_120414130

Much appreciated, the website was lacking a lot of detail but that virtual room has loads in it.

From looking over everything, there's a few things that jump out at me

Its actually a very small site. I thought it was going to be much, much larger. The few pitches they added at the front, I can see those being pulled out in years to come to accommodate pre-fabs
Its been designed to facilitate car drop offs. If I'm not mistaken I think more of the site is given over to cars than the school itself if you don't count the pitches
Why some covered bike parking and some uncovered, just cover the feckin lot of them
Its going to be a fustercluck in the mornings at drop off. ABP/GCC are going to force a redesign of the site on this alone I'd say as it looks like its 2 way traffic flow around the site.
The Dangan carpark looks like its going to be a drop off point too if its open to the public. If that happens, very few of the Uni folks will want to use it as it'll be a nightmare to get into
The drawings/visuals have grossly over-exaggerated the size of the footpaths in the locality and have kids cycling on them in numerous pictures. Very dishonest approach being taken
The building of this school, in this location, should be a natural driver (excuse the pun) for an extensive rollout of protected bike lanes on roads in the area that have more than enough space to accommodate without major works, something like below, could, for the most part, be implemented very quickly.

minimary · 14-06-2023 7:20pm

More high resolution plans are available now they've submitted their application, you can zoom in and see what the classrooms are for which you couldn't in the previous low resolution plans https://idocsweb.galwaycity.ie/iDocsWeb/listFiles.aspx?catalog=planning&id=23141&orderBy=type

Found it really interesting to look at. They've really fitted a lot of facilities into a small space. Nice to see the consideration for special needs students in the designs.

Still think the main issue is going to be the bottleneck of traffic in that area. Was surprised there aren't more showers in the design, from what I can see there are 5 showers (I think they're building it for 1200 pupils) and no specific showers or changing rooms for staff. I think if they wanted to push that a certain percentage of students/staff were going to cycle to school they need more facilities to enable them to do so.

Also theres a kitchen and a counter where food will be served I assume but I can't see any canteen where people could sit and eat, theres an open air amphitheatre but with it being the west of Ireland, that won't be much use much of the year, maybe they anticipate pupils bringing food back to their home classrooms during lunch or something.

As predicted there don't seem to be any changes in the design after they "consulted" the public in March. Wish that nonsense consultations like that would stop when there is no intention to actually make changes to plans and they just want to be able to tick a box and claim that there was a public consultation.

17-07-2023 3:32pm

So the car focused design of the site and its location have come in for objections from TII & the NTA

https://connachttribune.ie/transport-authorities-express-concerns-on-bish-school-move/

TII

TII has expressed disquiet that the proposed development is at variance with national policy in relation to control of development “on or affecting national roads” and that the proposed development would “by itself or by the precedent it would set . . . “would adversely affect the operation and safety of the national road network”.

Referring to the development’s adjacency to the proposed route for the Galway City Ring Road, they stated: “The proposed development could prejudice plans for the delivery of this scheme.”

NTA

The NTA stated that they are concerned the proposed layout of the development “will encourage a high number of trips to the school by car”.

Just as a follow up, the planning application number is 23141

There have been 19 submissions to date on the application, but neither those, nor the application itself, are currently viewable on the GCC planning site

what_traffic · 17-07-2023 3:43pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120863216#Comment_120863216

Predictable alright alright from TII considering proximity to the RING ROAD, if they wanted to improve operation and safety of the National Road Network they could encourage more efficient modes on the N59 itself (I.E install cycles paths on the VERY WIDE N59)

If it was proposed 300meters closer to town I wonder would NTA object if if was no longer on the N59?