Green light for HSE to use Dublin Road office block
The go-ahead has been given for offices outside Cavan town to be used to house HSE staff.
Located behind the Blackstone Motors building on the Dublin Road, the vacant offices were built in 2005 for use as “ancillary offices” to the garage located below. However, Donal Watters of Blackstone Motors applied to Cavan County Council last year for a change of use to allow for them to be used in a standalone capacity.
It’s understood the HSE plans to move staff from Cavan General Hospital to the building. The RCSI Hospitals Group, which manages Cavan General, has not responded to a request for further information on the plans.
The original planning permission outlines the use of the offices within the tower building as “ancillary to the used car sales and Audi facility respectively” with others “intended for use by the Brady family”. The building formerly housed the Cathal Brady Audi showroom.
The local authority granted permission in November.
However, the decision was appealed to An Bord Pleanála (ABP) by the building’s former owner, Cathal Brady, who highlighted issues he claimed were in contravention of both the County Development Plan (CDP) and the Cavan Town and Environs Development Plan (TDP).
In his submission, he says the CDP outlines the objective of prioritising town centre locations for offices and strengthening the town core. He also highlights the lack of traffic or employment projections in the application.
“To permit the current proposal would lead to an adverse precedent for offices in such locations rather than in the town centre,” says the ABP inspector’s report, summing up Mr Brady’s claim.
Mr Brady says the proposal would lead to insufficient parking for both the offices and car dealership. He also questioned the lack of engagement to examine any potential increase in traffic coming onto the N3.
The applicant, Donal Watters, urged the planning board to dismiss the appeal, describing it as “vexatious” on the grounds that Mr Brady was the former owner who was originally granted planning permission: “He intended that the upper floors of the East Building would be used for offices and so how can he now credibly object to such usage?”
He said regardless of the CDP and TDP, the offices have already been built and are lying vacant. He said the building is “suited to the HSE’s immediate and pressing needs for alternative accommodation”.
Addressing claims around parking, he said the existing outdoor parking is adequate to meet the needs of the garage businesses. The underground car park at the site would meet the needs of the HSE, he explained.
In its submission, Cavan Co Co, which had originally granted approval for the project, said office developments are permitted “in principle” in the area, highlighting the Digital Hub, located next door.
Summing up the case, Inspector Hugh D Morrison said the offices would be solely for the use of HSE staff and would not require attendance of members of the public. He said this counteracts the argument of the need for the office to be located in the town centre as it will result in no increase in footfall by members of the public.
Addressing concerns over traffic, he said under the original permission, they could be expected to generate additional traffic. He said a similar situation would be envisioned if the change of use was granted. He recommended that permission be granted.
The board agreed and attached seven conditions, including a noise survey to assess the impact on the offices of the garage workshops beneath; a mobility strategy to entice the use of public transport, cycling and walking; and bicycle parking and shower facilities must be included.