Strule Campus

Started by LC, March 21, 2024, 08:08:13 PM

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LC

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-68621308

Is this actually needed?

Potential to be another Casement in that the budget will ultimately be blew out of the water in no time.

thewobbler

#1
Quote from: LC on March 21, 2024, 08:08:13 PMhttps://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-68621308

Is this actually needed?

Potential to be another Casement in that the budget will ultimately be blew out of the water in no time.

From I first heard of it 7-8 years ago I thought it a brilliant idea.

Each school gets it own state-of the art, purpose built complex for core learning.

Each school gets to enjoy the use of state of the art auditoriums, specialised learning spaces, playing fields, and outdoor spaces.

The Dept of Education gets to facilitate all of this without the expense of building and maintaining those shared facilities 6 times over.

They also enjoy the benefit of not having to pay 6 times for security and general janitorial, for transport links and routes.

Plus they'll have 6 substantial plots of land to return to communities or sell to help pay for the construction.

The students enjoy being part of a wider community which should foster inter-gender and inter-denominational relations and opportunities.

The people of Omagh gain a leisure complex for after school use.

So. Where is the downside?

Delgany 2nds

Definitely a good proposal but the road network to the site is poor apart from the new link road out to the  Derry Road

3 of the existing school sites don't belong to the DENI but to Trustees.
The Sacred Heart college site is massive and could be worth a few pounds

WeeDonns

Quote from: LC on March 21, 2024, 08:08:13 PMhttps://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-68621308
Is this actually needed?
Needed?
In one word: No
But the 5 schools yet to move to the site require different levels of investment in their current facilities if those schools are to remain on their existing sites.
I think it's a case where you have to think of the long term benefits, which will be financial among other things.

I think it'd do no harm for kids from those schools to mix more if possible. Ironically the Integrated school in town is not part of this project (they waited many years for their own new build)

Quote from: Delgany 2nds on March 21, 2024, 09:34:23 PMDefinitely a good proposal but the road network to the site is poor apart from the new link road out to the  Derry Road

3 of the existing school sites don't belong to the DENI but to Trustees.
The Sacred Heart college site is massive and could be worth a few pounds
If it were to open tomorrow, there would be traffic chaos no doubt, but solutions can be found to that.

One of the key aims of the project is to make community use of such a large patch of land vacated by the army – but if it goes ahead, its going to leave 5 (?) other prime sites vacant. It'll be interesting to see what happens to those & as you say the Education board doesn't own them all.

Will the CBS hold on to their playing fields at Coolnagard if they have new pitches at this development & the brothers park just over the footbridge from it?
I seen a councilor pushing Fermanagh & Omagh DC to provide GAA pitches in the council area recently, maybe they would be interested in purchasing..