Construct two storey and part three storey 1000 pupil secondary school at The Downes, Portlaoise
The Downes, Portlaoise, Co. Laois
up to 3 storeys · 9.338 ha · Granted · permission to Mar 2031
Planning application 2560303 to Laois County Council: Construct two storey and part three storey 1000 pupil secondary school to include general classrooms, specialist classrooms, at The Downes, Portlaoise. Granted by the council on 29 January 2026. The register gives the permission's end as 3 March 2031.
Timeline
- Application lodged
- Further information requested
- Further information received
- Council granted
- Permission ends (date on the register)
The end date is the one the council register states. An extension or a commencement changes it.
Key facts
Proposed development
construct two storey and part three storey 1000 pupil secondary school to include general classrooms, specialist classrooms, a general-purpose hall, PE hall, offices, staff room, library, sanitary facilities and ancillary spaces. The development also includes the provision of: • New site entrance from O’Dowling roundabout on the Portlaoise South Orbital Route – R94 - Leading to new car and bus set down/ drop off area with 49 No. carparking spaces and with pedestrian & cycle route to the proposed school. • New site entrance from the adjoining Timahoe / Well Road (R426), access road with cycle and foot paths, bicycle spaces and 92 No. car parking space. • Provision of new footpath on the Timahoe / Well Road (R426), connecting to the existing. • Proposed new Hockey pitch with associated fencing, shelter dugouts and 8 no. flood lighting standards. • 6 no. ball courts, landscaped gardens and external social space. • Provision of a heat pump and gas storage areas, external stores and bin storage area. • Provision for all landscaping, boundary treatments, associated drainage, attenuation and other site services with all related site development and ancillary works. • A Natura Impact Statement (NIS) will be submitted to the planning authority with the application and the NIS will be available for inspection or purchase at a fee not exceeding the reasonable cost of making a copy during office hours at the office of the relevant planning authority.
Planning status
Permission was granted on 29 Jan 2026. The four-week appeal period has passed with no appeal recorded, so the permission is final. Works can start once a commencement notice is lodged; the register gives its end as 3 Mar 2031.
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Nearby applications
Other applications on the Laois register close to this address.
- 2460428The Downes, Portlaoise, Co. LaoisClosed
carry out development which will consist of the construction of part two storey and part three storey 1000 pupil secondary school to include general…
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- 2660254Meelick, Portlaoise, Co. LaoisClosed
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- 2660293Meelick, Portlaoise, Co. LaoisGranted
A) the demolition of a section of an existing industrial building, B) the erection of a new steel frame structure, C) construction of a concrete wall…
Related
About this page: the facts above come from the statutory public planning register kept by Laois County Council and are refreshed weekly (last updated 25 Sept 2026). Applicant names and contact details are not shown. Status labels are PlanningLeads' plain-language reading of the register status and the "Use" label is classified by AI from the public description (see how we use AI); neither is legal advice and the council's file is the record. How we handle this data: privacy notice.
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