New school build plan for Parkhall College

THE green light has finally been given for a new school build for Parkhall Integrated College.

Education Minister John O’Dowd announced on Tuesday a £220 million investment in 22 school building projects across Northern Ireland, including Parkhall.

Mr O’Dowd said: “In June last year I set out my Department’s capital investment plans which included an investment of over £133million in 18 new-build projects.

Work on these projects is progressing well and I am confident that the first of these will be on site early in the new financial year.

“This reflected my aim of providing a first class education to every child in our school system despite the challenge of balancing limited resources against the large-scale capital investment needed across the estate.

“I am announcing a further 22 projects to be advanced in planning representing a substantial potential investment of some £220million.

“The projects, 14 of which are primary school projects and eight are post-primary, have been considered within the context of the area planning work being undertaken and form part of the long-term provision within their respective areas.

“The projects are aimed at either addressing serious or substandard accommodation inadequacies, or at effecting agreed rationalisation of the schools estate.

“Six of the projects will see permanent new-build solutions for Integrated and Irish-medium schools currently located almost exclusively in temporary accommodation.

“Fourteen of the projects, meanwhile, are required to deal with previous or planned amalgamations or rationalisation within the estate.”

Mr O’Dowd highlighted that the authorisation to proceed with construction on each project would be based on the level of capital funding availability at that time and all necessary approvals being obtained.