Bower sets out 'urgent need' for outdoor sports project

A major outdoor sports development, to include two artificial grass pitches, a synthetic sprint track, and a new building with changing rooms, aims to address the lack of external facilities at one of the town's main secondary schools.

The new proposal, laid bare in a new planning application lodged on October 27 last, centres on the development of what's described as “outdoor sports, recreational and wellbeing facilities” on land beside Our Lady's Bower in Athlone.

What's proposed is a new building, which would provide changing rooms and storage facilities, as well as two artificial grass multi-sport playing surfaces with fencing and lighting. In addition, the project would include a synthetic sprint track with lighting, recreational facilities and outdoor exercise equipment, walkways, boundary fencing, a nature trail and seating.

Setting out the background and the “urgent need” for the project, principal Anne Beades says in a letter that back in 2008 they completed a “significant school building project” with the new premises located south of the railway line which separates it (new school) from the convent building, boarding school and grounds. However, in 2014 the La Sainte Union trustees closed the convent/boarding school and have since sold the building and grounds which included a tennis court, basketball court and a gravel hockey pitch.

“While the 2008 development included a full-size gymnasium and fitness suite, the school has no external facilities other than car parking areas,” the principal explains in a letter included in the planning documents.

“Since the sale of the convent grounds, the delivery of PE and extra-curricular activities has been limited predominantly to the indoors due to the absence of external sporting facilities,” the principal continues. “Combined with this, the absence of external sporting facilities has meant that we are not in a position to consider the introduction of Leaving Certificate Physical Education as an exam subject despite the huge interest and requests from our PE teachers, student cohort and parents,” the secondary school principal adds in the letter, saying they currently lease external sports facilities and rely on the goodwill of other sporting agencies to access their facilities.

Since the sale of the convent grounds, the school has been working alongside the trustees “to establish the potential to develop trustee owned lands” on the school side of the railway line.

“Our trustees recognise that we 'have no external sporting facilities and that as a result the school is impoverished'. The trustees have given us permission for the proposed project understanding that it meets the needs of the school; they have agreed that the development will take place on their lands next to the school building,” the principal states in the letter, saying she hopes it provides insight into the current situation at the school on Retreat Road and will assist in identifying the “urgent need” for the project.

A number of biodiversity mitigation works will be carried as part of the sports project, the plans also reveal, including “calcareous grassland areas, planting of native trees and shrubs”. An ecological impact assessment report has also been lodged with the planning documents in connection with the initiative.

Westmeath County Council is due to announce a decision in relation to the outdoor sports project for the all-girls school, which has a current enrolment of 682 students, by December 21 next.