€20m medical centre decision delayed
Further information has been sought on plans for a new medical centre in Cavan Town, writes Eddie Butler.
The €20m development is planned for lands known as ‘Corr’s Field’ on the Loreto Road, which once sold for the most expensive price per acre ever achieved in the county town.
The Lisdaran Partnership sought planning permission in October for the three-storey centre, which could create up to 80 jobs if completed.
Planning permission has already been granted for a 160-bed nursing home at the site.
In the submission to the County Council, consultants working on behalf of the applicant said the centre would include a pharmacy, staff areas and offices, therapy and treatment rooms, and a reception and waiting area.
They claimed it could “relieve pressure on acute medical services” due to its strategic proximity to Cavan General Hospital.
In relation to the nursing home application, it was already stated that a future potential road linkage to the hospital through the co-located site could be established.
The local authority was due to make a decision on the project by last Tuesday (November 23) but it has requested substantial further information on the plans.
It has requested a “conceptual plan” for the future development of the overall ‘Lisdarn lands’ in order to ensure the “holistic and proper future planning of the area”.
It’s also asked for a Visual Impact Assessment to examine the building’s impact on surrounding areas. Proposals around road safety and the movement of traffic from the site to Loreto Road are also included in the request.
A number of other issues are also raised, including pedestrian safety and the requirement for a flood risk assessment to be carried out.
The Lisdaran Partnership has a period of six months to respond to the request for further information.
One submission was made on the project on behalf of local resident Jim Elliott.
The document, submitted on his behalf by Town Planning Consultant David Mooney, raises a number of issues with the plans.
The impact of the project on the surrounding areas was raised, with a view that the “scale of the proposed development does not integrate with surrounding development”. The poor road network surrounding the site was also highlighted in the submission, with the lack of a footpath linking the Loreto Road and Golf Links Road raised as a potential hazard for pedestrians. The road is described as being used as a “rat run” by people travelling from the Cavan bypass to that side of town to avoid the town centre.
Mr Elliott also raised the potential for flooding of the Kinny Pottle River as a concern if the plans were to be approved as currently set out, as well as the lack of an overall masterplan for the area.