A NEW build for Devenish College in Enniskillen has moved a step closer after the economic appraisal carried out by the Western Education and Library Board backed plans for a new 800 pupil school on the Tempo Road, on the same site acquired back in 2005.
Following the amalgamation of Devenish College and Lisnaskea High School in September 2013, the WELB proceeded with the economic appraisal for the new college.
The completed economic ppraisal was submitted to the Department of Education on February 28 2014 for approval.
WELB Chief Executive, Barry Mulholland, said: “I can confirm that the economic appraisal in respect of Devenish College has been submitted to the Department of Education.
“The preferred option of the economic appraisal recommends a new build school for Devenish College on the Tempo Road site for 800 pupils.
“The new Devenish College will provide a state of the art school with modern facilities enabling the Northern Ireland curriculum to be delivered in an environment in which all pupils can develop and achieve their goals.
“The economic appraisal has shown that the school being replaced in new-build accommodation on the new site is both economically effective and educationally sound.”
The chairman of the board of governors of Devenish College, Alex Baird, welcomed the news of the submission and said: “I and the board of governors of Devenish College are delighted that this stage has been achieved and look forward to a positive response from the Department of Education officials in the near future.
“This is the first step in the process to achieving our new-build college.
“The new premises will result in improved use of resources and also provide the opportunity to offer a wider range of post-16 courses”.
Parent and member of the board of governors Willie Magee was delighted with the decision and is ‘very confident’ a new school will be built on the Tempo Road site.
“As a parent it is the first real positive sign, it is good to see the wheels are in motion at long last.
“Having said that though by the time the school is built my daughter (Rhiannan, year 11) will have left.
“It is fantastic for the future of education in the controlled sector, you couldn’t have asked for better news, especially for me as I live beside the Tempo Road.
“As a preferred site it is also better for infrastructure with the new Cherrymount Link Road now in place.
“It puts us on par with the controlled sector on the edge of the county as we will have a new state of the art school.
“We would also envisage a rise in numbers with the announcement of the new school.
“Once people see the first sod being cut and know it is going to happen it will only be positive.
“It will give parents and students confidence; once they see the school being built they will think ‘we’re going to send our kids there’.
“I think it will go ahead, they have done the same in Strabane and their new-build is progressing well, I’m confident of the same going through at Devenish.
“At the end of the day it’s what our children deserve.”
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