Kildare school appealing planning fee of almost €16K for house to be built for new principal

Clongowes Wood school are appealing a bill of almost €16,000 that was issued to them for the granting of planning permission to build a home for a lay principal on the grounds of the school.

The fee-paying school, which is located near Clane in the north of the county, have been issued a bill of €15,680 by Kildare County Council after seeking permission to build a four-bedroom home on the grounds of the 500-acre site. Their reason for the appeal is due to the fact that the school has charitable tax status as it describes itself as a voluntary organisation, despite the fact that fees at the college are around €17,000 per year.

The school initially objected to the €65 fee for the planning application, but they agreed to pay it after Kildare CoCo said that the application would be invalid if the fee wasn't paid.

Previous principals of the school have lived in an apartment on the grounds throughout its 200-year history, but new principal, Chris Lumb, has moved over from Sheffield and needs a house due to the fact that he has a family moving over with him. His two sons attend the school as boarders.

The school have issued an appeal to An Bord Pleanala to make an exemption for the charge, citing a previous building project in 2009 when they did not have to pay a similar levy for a larger project.