Approval for change to layout of paths around Limerick school
The plans have been approved by councillors
CHANGES to the layout of an area alongside a northside school have been approved by councillors.
At this month’s metropolitan district meeting, members unanimously approved the plans from Active Travel to transform the footpath outside Gaelscoil Sáirséal in Shelbourne Road.
The works will see the width of the existing footpath extended from two metres to four metres wide to accommodate both cyclists and pedestrians on a shared surface.
It’s planned to set back the school’s existing wall to accommodate this, and relocate its gate as a result.
A new boundary wall with hedging will be erected at the rear side of the school, while there will be a new pedestrian entrance to the building.
The works were proposed by Fine Gael councillor Olivia O’Sullivan, and seconded by Sasa Novak of the Green Party.
Councillor Novak, who has children in Gaelscoil Sáirséal, said: “It’s great that it passed and there was consensus among all the councillors. We worked together on this, and it’s great that it will be connected into the Techn0logical University of the Shannon to the city centre (Active Travel) scheme which should start construction in the next couple of months.”
The changes to the path layout comes one year after a ‘school zone’ was introduced at Gaelscoil Sáirséal.
It created a safer environment to youngsters attending the premises each day, and was hailed by Cllr Novak as “life-changing”.
“This extra bit is going to change how kids get to school, how the school operates, how safe they are around the school,” she added.
There were concerns from some residents around the safety of having a shared cycle and pedestrian path.
But in response, council chief executive Dr Pat Daly provided reassurances that planters and bollards shaped in the shape of enlarged pencils will provide segregation in the shared space on the scheme.