Stranorlar walkway will reopen 'early next year' when deemed safe to public

Donegal Education and Training Board (ETB) has said the walkway adjacent to Finn Valley College in Stranorlar will re-open once it is safe to do so - estimated to be in early 2025.

At the end of May, Donegal ETB received approval from the Department of Education to proceed with the construction of a much-needed extension to Finn Valley College.

The extension will enable the provision of five new specialist rooms that will address the requirements for students with Special Educational Needs, as well as the provision of three additional general classrooms needed to accommodate the growing student numbers at the College. 

Throughout the planning and statutory approval process, Donegal ETB has maintained regular contact with executives from Donegal County Council in relation to the school extension project.  

As part of this process, Donegal ETB has engaged with Donegal County Council to discuss both projects, the opening of the walkway and the school building extension. Following the tender process and the appointment of contractors for the school extension project in June, Donegal ETB convened a meeting between the school, the ETB, Donegal County Council and the school extension Contractor and Design Team representatives to discuss the school building project and the walkway, and to explore how best to accommodate both projects. 

The conclusion reached by all parties - again based on the expert advice and input from the Contractor’s health and safety team, and this advice was confirmed by an independent firm of Health and Safety advisers - was that it would be unsafe to open the walkway during the construction period.  Therefore, it was agreed that the parties would work together to ensure the walkway is ready for opening as soon as the school construction is sufficiently advanced, and it is deemed safe to do so.

Following a series of discussions between Donegal ETB and Donegal County Council in relation to the opening of the walkway for use by the general public, an agreement was signed in February between Donegal ETB and Donegal County Council under which Donegal ETB leased the walkway to Donegal County Council for an initial 15-year period to facilitate its opening.

“The issue of the opening of the walkway has been featured at meetings of the Stranorlar Municipal District Council and in the local press recently, and in response, Donegal ETB wished to clarify the current situation concerning the walkway,” Donegal ETB said.

“There is a major extension currently being constructed at Finn Valley College that will enable the provision of five new specialist rooms that will address the requirements for students with Special Educational Needs, as well as the provision of three additional general classrooms needed to accommodate the growing student numbers at the College.

“The school is looking forward to welcoming and continuing to provide an excellent education to the more than 430 students who have enrolled in Finn Valley College for the coming academic year 2024/25. 

“Expert advice received from both independent Health and Safety advisers, and from the Health and Safety team of the Contractors appointed to build the new school extension currently under construction at the Finn Valley College site, is that opening the walkway to the public during the construction work for the school extension would be unsafe from a health and safety perspective.

“The health and safety of students, staff, contractors and the public is a responsibility which Donegal ETB takes extremely seriously and is of paramount importance to the organisation.  It would be negligent of Donegal ETB to disregard the clear conclusions and advice of health and safety experts in relation to this matter.

“Donegal ETB and Donegal County Council are committed to working together to ensure that the walkway will be opened to the public at the earliest possible opportunity. To that end, discussions are ongoing between the parties to seek to facilitate a joint approach to the works required for the school project as well as the works required to open the walkway. The good news is that the walkway will open to the public once the work is completed at the Finn Valley College site and following completion of the necessary works by Donegal County Council.

"From discussions with the contractors, the current estimated timescale is to have the walkway opened during the early part of 2025 with an approximate nine-month work plan for completion of the Finn Valley College works.”

Ms Anne McHugh, Chief Executive, Donegal ETB, in welcoming recent developments stated: “Donegal ETB greatly appreciates the patience of the public while the required construction works take place, and we are confident that the community of the Finn Valley will join us in looking forward to the completion of both of these important infrastructural enhancements.”