‘Concerned’ east Belfast residents to hold consultation after Irish language school plans passed

A community group in east Belfast is to hold a consultation event on plans to build a new temporary Irish language school which have already received planning permission from Belfast City Council.

Scoil na Seolta, a new Irish language primary school set to open on Montgomery Road later this year, had plans for the temporary building passed last month with just two objections submitted to council.

The meeting, being organised by a group known as ‘Clonduff Concerned Residents’, is to take place at Clonduff Community Centre on Thursday.

On the community centre’s Facebook page it said it was ‘sharing’ on behalf of the concerned residents that hundreds of flyers have been distributed and a ‘large turnout’ is expected.

Irish language campaigner Linda Ervine, who is behind the school project, has also been invited.

Anonymous leaflets posted through doors in recent days ask: “Do you want an Irish language school in your area?”

It also claims that: “this site is needed for jobs”, ‘”the needs of our community have been ignored” and “less than 1% of local population speak Irish.”

Earlier this month the Clonduff Community Group said in a statement it “takes no definitive position” on the school’s proposal.

A statement from Scoil na Seolta on Wednesday said it has ‘continuously engaged with the east Belfast community’ over the plans, and that objections were minimal during the planning process.

It said a ‘restorative justice community practitioner’ had been tasked to speak with local residents in Clonduff, with ‘no objections raised’.

“This has included delivering 17,000 flyers to homes within east Belfast, a social media campaign focusing on the school and the advantages of bi-lingual education and an extensive media coverage,” the school posted on social media.

“A restorative justice community practitioner was asked to speak to grass-roots community activists within the Clonduff estate to gauge their opinion prior to commencing formal planning permission through Belfast City Council. There were no objections raised.

“The planning permission consultation in April 24 notified residential and commercial neighbours in Clonduff Drive, Marshalls Road & Montgomery Road. Letters were sent to these properties from Belfast City Council, providing details of the site proposal.

“There were no letters of objection raised through this neighbour consultation and within the entire consultation process there were two letters of objection and 11 letters of support.

“Following the positive outcome of the Belfast City Council consultation process, Scoil na Seolta is looking forward to moving to its new site on Montgomery Rd and becoming a good neighbour.”

However a post from Clonduff Community on behalf of ‘Clonduff Concerned Residents’ said it had knocked on hundreds of doors in Clonduff estate and that the response was ‘overwhelming.

“Hundreds of flyers were distributed across the estate and the response was nothing short of overwhelming. We are anticipating a large turnout,” the post said.

“Our community deserves to be consulted and this Thursday is the first real opportunity to have your voice heard.”