NAMA issue in Kildare said to be holding up progress on building of three Celbridge schools

A “commercially sensitive” issue involving NAMA is thought to be holding up progress on three planned new schools for Celbridge, a Kildare County Council meeting has been told.

At the Celbridge-Leixlip Municipal District meeting on January 22, Cllrs Ciara Galvin and Nuala Killeen asked council officials to outline specific reasons for the delay in progressing the three schools  campus in Celbridge and work to accelerate the outstanding issues with all  stakeholders.

They and other councillors are concerned about delays and the councillors agreed to contact both NAMA and the Department of Education about meeting them as well as meeting representatives from the planned schools, St.  Raphael's Special School, Celbridge Community School and St. Patrick's National  School.

Cllr Galvin said that after meeting with school reps, “frustration was palpable and they needed “to get to the root of the commercially sensitive matter” 

 In a report to members, Director of Services, Planning, Eoghan Ryan said: “The Receiver, in association with NAMA, commissioned a Draft Masterplan for the  Ballyoulster Key Development Area (as identified in the Celbridge Local Area Plan (LAP). It outlines a key school campus site to facilitate the three schools, in addition  to the development of new residential areas and parklands. The Masterplan also  provides the framework for the phased development of the overall area, and the  schools sites have been identified in Phase 1. The council has reviewed the  Masterplan and feedback has been provided and subsequently, the Receiver/NAMA  and their consultants have come back with clarifications which have been reviewed  and additional comments have recently been provided. From the council’s  perspective, however, the need to accommodate the three schools is of paramount  importance and is not dependent on any masterplan.”  

Mr Ryan continued: “There were some technical challenges to be teased out in relation to the development  objective contained within the LAP, for an upgrade to the existing pedestrian/cyclist  footbridge and/or a new pedestrian/cyclist bridge in the town centre and a mechanism  for its delivery/funding and the phasing of overall development. These are now  resolved to the council’s satisfaction.” 

The meeting heard the Director of Services for Planning and Strategic Development has been in contact  with the receiver. “He understands that there is an issue  of a commercially sensitive nature which is also impeding progress, but solutions are  being explored with the full cooperation and support of Kildare County Council.” 

Cllr Galvin’s proposal that they invite NAMA to meet them over the delays  but Mr Ryan said this was  “unlikely to be of any real benefit as they will not be at liberty to discuss any matter of a  commercial nature which the Receiver, as ‘charge-holder’, has an interest in  resolving.” 

Cllr Michael Coleman said he believed Kildare County Council and the Department of Education is doing all it can but the schools are not a priority for the Receiver. “I don’t see anything happening there with NAMA. It is very secretive.”

He said the schools did not require a master plan 

Cllr Vanessa Liston agreed with Cllr Coleman.

Cllr Bernard Caldwell said they should contact the Minister for Education as NAMA was “a law onto its own.”

He said NAMA will look for the highest bidder for the land.

Council planner, Caroline O’Donnell said they wanted the three schools built as part of phase one of the plan for the area.

Regarding the schools, in the Dail recently, Minister for Education, Norma Foley, told Kildare North TD, Bernard Durkan: “It is proposed to accommodate the three schools, St Raphael's Special School,  Scoil Naomh Padraig and Celbridge Community School  on a campus development in order to cater for the permanent needs of the schools. The Department is presently at a very advanced stage in the process of acquiring a suitable site, located at Donaghcumper. As part of the Department’s appraisal, traffic management analysis is being examined and my officials are continuing to actively engage regularly with both Kildare County Council and the landowner on all aspects of the future operation of the proposed site.”