Impressive load carrier performance at a great price - but has its limits compared to premium priced models

Mads Pedersen sees Filippo Ganna's Lidl-Trek arrival as an asset to their classics line-up. While admitting that the Italian's presence could impact his chances, the Danish versatile sprinter sees scenarios where it helps him win more races. Time trial specialist Ganna has made waves in one-day race...

An extra access point for active travel is the norm at many schools across Ireland, but one schools board of management is so against this concept that it is asking An Coimisin Pleanla to overturn the planning conditions by Kildare County Council planners that the gate be opened for school access. The council granted Scoil Mhuire Community School, a secondary school in Clane, planning permission to construct a new two-storey extension. Planners, however, said the school must open a pedestrian access point at the start and end of the school day. The use of the gate would mean that children dont have to walk, cycle or be driven a longer distance to the front gate, and the developer of the housing estate behind the school complied with the condition by building a ramp from the boundary of the school into the estate (pictured above), but the gate remains locked at all times.The Presentation Sisters, a religious congregation, were the named applicant for planning permission for the housing estate, which included the access gate. The Principals Statement on the schools website states that The seed of Scoil Mhuire was born out of the Presentation Convent, and the site lists the Presentation Sisters as part of the schools trustee structure, which also includes the Kildare and Wicklow Education and Training Board.The Board of Management of Scoil Mhuire Community School went so far as to tell An Coimisin Pleanla that it was not simply objecting to a pedestrian gate to the school, but that its appeal relates to the conditions requiring the opening and operation of a public pedestrian connection through the school campus.There is no evidence that the council planners were attempting to open up a through route for the public, but this claim is made repeatedly in the planning appeal.IMAGE: A Google Maps image with the school highlighted in blue, the main entrance location shown with a yellow circle, and the currently closed gate shown with a green circle. The planning conditions make it clear that the access point would be a connection which links the subject site [the school] and the Abbot Field housing estate for student and staff access, and Kildare County Councils planning report makes this even clearer. The councils report said planners met with the school via Teams at the start of this year, with the access point as the main point of discussion. Planners said that they expressed that the extra access was imperative, in the interest of students and staff, but they said that the school was not supportive of this plan and raised concerns from the outset. While planners noted the concerns, they maintained it is considered vitally important that this permeable pedestrian link is opened for students and staff.The councils planners said: It is considered that the opening of this pedestrian link would alleviate the significant pressures that the town centre is under regarding traffic at peak school times, as well as supporting active travel for students and staff who reside to the north of the town. It is also important to note that this link was identified in the Clane Town Centre First Plan as being a key priority and the number 1 potential permeable link in the town.The council said that the school also maintained that the access point is incomplete, but the council said that given that the pedestrian link has already been constructed up to the boundary, it is considered reasonable that a condition will be attached which ensures that this link is opened within 3 months of a grant of this permission.In a submission on behalf of the schools board of management, Principal Kevin Martin repeatedly refers to the planning condition requirements for the access point to be operational as a requirement for a through route. This is despite the planning conditions and planning report not seeking a through route, but rather just an access point for use by the schools students and staff only. Similar arrangements for secondary active travel access points at schools exist across Ireland. Examples include St Farnans Post Primary School in Prosperous, Co Kildare, where a path originally provided through overgrown land which was eventually turned into a park. But the school lodged a 34-page appeal arguing against the condition as if it were for a through route. Principal Martin said: The proposed access arrangement would: Introduce members of the public directly into the operational core of the campus; Create avoidable safeguarding concerns; Increase health and safety risks; Generate conflict between pedestrian and vehicular movements; Impact the operation of a campus serving approximately 1,200 students and over 120 staff; Affect areas used extensively for teaching, recreation and sport; Interact directly with the proposed extension and associated twelve-space car park; [and] Place an unreasonable supervisory and operational burden on school management.While it has been suggested that restrictions on opening hours could address these concerns, I do not believe that such measures adequately mitigate the risks arising from the location of the gate itself. The fundamental issue is that members of the public would be introduced directly into an active educational environment containing teaching accommodation, student recreation areas, sports facilities, Special Classes and school parking facilities, he said. Martin said that the school fully supports the approved development, but said: In my considered professional opinion, the condition requiring public pedestrian access through this location is incompatible with the schools responsibility to provide a safe, secure and appropriately supervised environment for students and staff.Kildare County Councils planning report noted that the school had put forward an alternative proposal for a new lane which would provide a route along the side of the school to the front of it, but they said that this proposed 2 metre wide path would be outside the red line boundary covered by the planning application, a significant proportion of this route is outside the landholding of the school, and the school did not provide detailed drawings for such a route. A map of the outline suggested by the school shows an alternative pedestrian route running from the Abbott housing estate via Clane RFC to the nearby Ottomy housing estate. This route would still require students to reach the school via Main Street in town and would amount to a less direct route than just using the current roads and streets.The school argues that the gate access would use third-party lands and that it is not clear if it owns the gate or if it could legally operate it. Photos provided in the appeal file show the gate blocked on what appears to be the schools side of the boundary. The councils report said: It does not appear that the applicant has liaised and obtained the written consent of the developer of the Abbot Field residential development; Westin Homes Limited in respect of this request.

Shares in the retailer dropped sharply, however, amid concerns over falling consumer spending this winter

Lidl-Trek's flurry of transfers ahead of the 2027 season seems to be complete. After eight arrivals, including big name riders such as Filippo Ganna and Felix Gall, their latest contract announcement appears to be their final move in the market. Sren Kragh Andersen will stay with the team in 2027,...

Wout van Aert is enjoying time with his family after a 2026 season that saw the Visma | Lease a Bike rider hit one of the high points of his career as well as a setback that caused him to miss the Tour de France. Looking ahead, he has some lofty ambitions for 2027. The Belgian rider won Paris Roubai...