New £5m Millennium primary gets go-ahead

New £5m Millennium primary gets go-ahead

9 December 2020

A NEW £5 million replacement building for Millennium Integrated Primary School has been given the green light by planners.

Unanimous approval on Monday from the planning committee of Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council means that the new school could be opened as early as September 2023.

Construction of the 14-class school with capacity for 392 pupils alongside a two classroom nursery for 52 pupils is likely to start in early 2022.

Funding is being supported by the Department of Education and Department of Finance.

The school, which is situated on the Lisdoonan Road outside Saintfield, attracts children from Saintfield, Carryduff and Ballygowan.

Principal Barry Corrigan said he was delighted approval had been given. 

“This is an important day in the history of the school, especially as it celebrates its 20th anniversary of opening,” he said.

“As much as we are indebted to the support and drive of those involved with the school in the past, we are now looking towards a bright and exciting future in the life of the school. 

“We are determined to ensure that this is a school building that the community will be proud of as we want it to be a community building and we are more than happy to speak to community groups about how it can be used to support them, going forward.”

The school has been on the current site since 2003 and its continued growth is seen an indication of the desire to support parents wanting integrated education for their children in the Saintfield and Carryduff areas.

Under its first principal, Mrs Mary Roulston, Millennium was viewed as a model for primary integrated education, despite some opposition in its early days.

It’s planned that the school will be built behind the current school to reduce disruption to school life.

Mr Corrigan said that the Board of Governors had worked closely with the design team to ensure that the building will be “a state of the art testament to the school’s ambitions to prepare children for the 21st century”. 

He added: “The barrel roof of the main hall, alongside the low profile of the other roofs is intended to be reflective of the agricultural nature of buildings in the surroundings while, at the same time, being an environmental leader with resources such as solar panels being included in the roofing.

“The design of the school also incorporates a dedicated area for creative arts combined with leading technology.

“It will be a unique point to the building as the school continues to work alongside Microsoft as a showcase school – one of only two primary schools in Ireland recognised in this way.”

The principal stressed that the governors would be working closely with the developers to ensure there is minimal disruption. 

“We have helped address some of the traffic issues with a daily, dedicated bus that brings children to and from school. In the afternoons, there are close to 40 children regularly taking the bus back to Carryduff, thus reducing the impact of traffic on the road,” said Mr Corrigan.

As well as the new primary school building, there is also a new two classroom nursery school being built on the grounds – with the ability to accommodate children on a daily basis, with its own dedicated play area for the younger children.

Mr Corrigan added: “It has always been my ambition for families to see attendance at Millennium as a journey. By beginning in the nursery, parents should feel confident that their children’s integrated educational journey will always be an inclusive, high quality one.”