A major multi million euro student campus to service Ireland’s newest university has been lodged with An Bord Pleanála in recent days.
Plans for the student complex are part of a large scale development which were formally tabled with the independent planning appeals.
The venture, which is proposed by Longford developer and former Athlone IT graduate Mark Cunningham comprises 283 student beds along with 122 residential dwellings at Cartrontroy, Kilnafaddoge, Lissywollen and Ardnaglug (townlands ) in Athlone.
It is envisaged the proposal will positively contribute to addressing the well publicised shortage of student accommodation in Athlone which is having a pronounced negative impact on the local housing market.
The chartered engineer has lodged the plans to An Bord Pleanála through the State’s Strategic Housing Development (SHD ). The development site, otherwise known as ‘The Green Quarter’ fronts onto The Old Rail Trail Cycleway where connectivity to the new Athlone Technological University (TUS ) and Athlone Town centre for students and residents is proposed.
The ambitious plans comes three months after Athlone IT was upgraded to university status as part of a merger with Limerick Institute of Technology to form the country’s third Technological University of the Shannon (TUS ).
Mr Cunningham said the development was in keeping with local policy guidelines level to construct a “student quarter” while promoting Athlone as an “international student destination”.
The former Athlone AIT student spoke of his own personal delight at being able to devise what promises to be one of the largest and transformational projects for his former alma mater.
“As a past student of Athlone Regional Technical College (RTC ), I’m delighted to have the opportunity to apply for permission to construct a purpose built student campus which both reflects its new Technological University status and also Athlone’s place as a regional growth centre in The National Planning Framework,” Mr Cunningham stated.
Welcoming the proposed development, TUS student president, Áine Daly, hoped that such accommodation wold be of an affordable nature for those attending the university.
“I am sure the current accommodation crisis facing our country, society and student population is well known, and this proposed development, focusing on providing a provision to students, is warmly welcomed.
“However, affordability is key here, so our students can actually utilise it. International students every year are at the mercy of securing accommodation that is overpriced due to the need for an address for visa requirements and in this regard, I would hope the developer behind this project, a former student of this Institute, will engage with the Students’ Union to gather an understanding of the student body for whom he is constructing the proposed development.
It is highlighted in reports completed by this TU during the merger process that our demographic of students are pronominally from the lower socio-economic background and unfortunately struggle with the enormous costs of attending college in Ireland due to inflation in recent years.
“I commend the developer for taking this initiative while our government have stood idle, with their inaction of building social, universal and of course PBSA or their discrimination to our Institutes by denying them a borrowing framework to build their own accommodation.
“Still, in 2022, we wait for this framework to be made available even in our TU status. When students are taken out of the private rental market it opens up properties for the wider society to avail of - our graduates, professionals and of course families.
“Higher Education Institutes and the society where they reside should co-exist and thrive, not consume and deprive. This is one of many projects needed for our student body and of course the wider society of Athlone,” Ms Daly asserted.
A decision on the development is due to be made by An Bord Pleanála later this year.
