St Patrick’s Boys’ former site sold

St Patrick’s Boys’ former site sold

24 October 2018

THE former St Patrick’s Boys’ Primary School site in Downpatrick is to be sold.

The Down and Connor diocese has confirmed this week that the St Dillon’s Avenue site — which was vacated in 2011 when the school merged with the nearby Convent of Mercy Primary for girls — offers both commercial and residential potential.

The sale does not include the adjacent playing fields.

Following the merger of the two schools to form Our Lady and St Patrick’s which is based at the Convent of Mercy’s former base in Edward Street, the former boys’ primary was subsequently demolished.

At the time of the merger of two of Downpatrick’s oldest schools, which marked the end of single sex primary education in the district, it was suggested a new school would be built, with the St Dillon’s Avenue site suggested as a possible base.

Downpatrick councillor Gareth Sharvin said Downpatrick required an ultra-modern primary school and believed the Education Authority should investigate the full potential of the St Dillon’s Avenue site.

He also made it clear that local residents and parishioners must be fully consulted about the future development of the former boys’ primary school.

“In previous sales of church lands, some church committees carried out a survey of local parishioners to seek their views of the site being proposed for sale. It is vitally important the St Dillon’s Avenue site is used for the benefit of the community,”he continued.

“Any future planning applications will involve a consultation process that enables the public to have their say on the future development.”

The Downpatrick councillor suggested that given the current parking and traffic flow issues at Edward Street, there was a need for an ultra-modern primary school in the town to continue to provide a high standard of children’s education.

He declared: “I believe the St Dillon’s Avenue site would be ideal for a new school development and will be writing to the Education Authority to ask that they investigate the site’s potential for such a development.

“I will also be asking Newry, Mourne and Down Council to review options for this site as it could also be ideal for other community facilities.”

A spokesman for the diocese of Down and Connor confirmed on Monday that the former St Patrick’s Boys Primary School site will be placed on the market for sale.

He added: “The diocesan Trustees are legally bound to act in the best interests of the charity and to consider all offers made through the public market process.

“In the case of sales of former school sites, the diocesan Trustees are required to return a substantial percentage of the sale price to the Department of Education in Northern Ireland.”

A number of people have taken to social media in the wake of news that the former school site is to be sold and expressed concern about the impact its redevelopment could have on an already heavily congested part of the town.

Several have suggested a new school should be built on the site, while others believe its redevelopment could have problems securing planning permission given the topography of this part of the town and traffic congestion in nearby Edward Street.

A number of people said they would not be in favour of any form of retail development at the former school site.