New Moate school development due to go to tender this summer

A construction team for a new purpose-built secondary school in Moate will be selected following a tendering process, which is expected to take place this summer.

The principal of Moate Community School, Tom Lowry, told the Westmeath Independent this week: "I'm informed by the design team that we will go to tender this summer to select the construction team."

Mr Lowry admitted that he had thought the process would be further along at this stage, but he said: "I look forward to the tendering deadline and moving this forward."

He said the school currently has an enrolment of 920 students, with an additional 400 students undertaking further education at Moate Business College, bringing the total number of students at the Main Street campus to just over 1,300.

The construction project will see the demolition of all of the current premises barring the St Joseph's building, the oldest on-site, and the one facing the road, as part of a phased construction project to provide a new state-of-art secondary school spanning 9,600 square metres.

Once construction begins, the development is expected to take two and a half years to complete.

Mr Lowry explained that construction will take place in two phases to allow for the day-to-day operations of the school to continue as the building progresses.

During the first phase of the build, which will see the construction of a new three-storey building to the rear of the school, it will not be possible to use eight of the present classrooms, and temporary accommodation will be used.

Once students move into the new building, it will allow for the rest of the school to be demolished. The new three-storey building will then link in with part of the present building that is being retained - St Joseph's.

The school was first established in 1996 following the amalgamation of the Convent of Mercy Secondary School, the Carmelite College and Moate Vocational School.

The new school will boast specialist rooms, social areas and canteen, and will be a much more contemporary and modern building.

"The first phase of construction is an 18-month phase and that will be the three-storey building," explained Mr Lowry. "Once that is complete and ready for us to move into, the second phase takes place and that is expected to take 12 months.

"I'm principal now 13 years and when I started this was one of the major priorities for me," he added.

Planning approval for the new school was granted by Westmeath County Council in February of last year, subject to twelve conditions.