It is likely to be autumn 2022 before any work can start on the much needed sports ground, playground, and parking facilities for St John The Apostle School in Knocknacarra.
Work was to have started on these facilities this year, but the combination of the Covid-19 pandemic and staff shortages in the Galway City Council have considerably delayed the project.
“The development of these lands for recreation and amenity are now more necessary than ever as the population of Knocknacarra grows,” said Labour Galway City West councillor, Niall McNelis. “There is no pitch beside the school and many students have missed out.”
Campaign
St John The Apostle School was opened in 2009 on temporary premises on Clybaun Road. In 2015, the board of management and the parents’ association began a campaign to ask the Galway City Council to develop land adjacent to the school, known as Kingston Parklands, to provide pupils with a sports pitch, playground, two way cycle lane, and also a parking area for staff and parents.
By 2018 the draft final plan for Kingston Parklands was issued for final consultation, with the masterplan being adopted by city councillors that summer.
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Since then, no progress has been made on the development of Kingston Parklands, despite inclusion of funds in the annual budget to progress the plans.
The issue was raised with the council’s housing, environment, climate change, recreation, and amenity department by Cllr McNelis [pictured above]. In correspondence with City Hall, he wrote: “It is important that works progress on these lands. Knocknacarra is now as big as Athlone or Castlebar. It needs to be serviced with recreational facilities.”
Covid-19 impact
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Cllr McNelis was informed by the department that, following the adoption of the masterplan in 2018, consultants to prepare a Part 8 planning application had to be appointed, while provision for the work itself was included in the council’s proposed work programme for 2021.
However, preparation of the Part 8, which includes extensive public consultation, site investigations, trial holes, site visits, etc, were delayed by the impact of, and the restrictions required by, the Covid-19 pandemic.
Added to this has been “a significant outflow of staff” from the recreation and amenity department. Overall, the city council has a current staff vacancy level of almost 10 per cent, with recruitment curtailed during the pandemic.
“The impact of Covid and the complete non-availability of certain staff has impacted on the programme for Kingston lands,” Dermot Mahon, director of services, at the recreation and amenity department, wrote to Cllr McNelis. “This has stalled the preparation of the Part 8, which cannot now be finalised until some additional staffing is in place. It is highly unlikely that the proposed Part 8 can be brought before the Council for final determination until later Q2 of 2022.”
Funding
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The council has a budget of €137,149 to progress the proposed works at Kingston, but additional funds will be needed. As such, other possible sources of funding, including future Sports Capital funds, will be considered.
“The council will also seek to acquire additional lands that are outside of its control in order to facilitate the implementation of the full masterplan,” Mr Mahon wrote. “The council will have to directly fund the acquisition of any such lands from within its own resources.”
