€60m hospital on the right track

THE consortium behind proposals for a €60 million private hospital in Ennis, creating up to 700 jobs, are expected to lodge an application for planning permission with Ennis Town Council within the next two months.
An Bord Pleanála has ruled that plans by Duesbury Limited for the development on the site of the former Our Lady’s Psychiatric Hospital, on the outskirts of Ennis, do not qualify as strategic infrastructure development (SID) and the project can be decided on by planners within the town council.
In making its decision, An Bord Pleanála stated the proposed development is below the 100-bed in-patient threshold.
Duesbury Ltd had submitted to An Bord Pleanála that the proposed development is not strategic infrastructure.
A spokesperson for Duesbury said, “We had initially planned to apply for planning permission with Ennis Town Council but legislation meant we were obliged to make an application to An Bord Pleanála to seek a determination on whether this development constitutes strategic infrastructure. We had submitted that this was not strategic infrastructure and we expected the decision of An Bord Pleanála.
“We are now continuing the process as we had originally started and nothing has changed. We will be proceeding with a planning application to the local authority in the next eight to 10 weeks.”
The private firm are planning a 97-bed hospital within the 19th century protected structure on the Gort Road. A number of hospital investors and operators are currently in discussions with the owners regarding the use of the site.
If given the go-ahead, the development would comprise a full-care hospital providing all medical services and ancillary accommodation to include 97 full in-patient beds and also include 12 consultant suites, 30 first strategy recovery cubicles and office accommodation.
According to the developers, 600 full-time jobs will be created when the facility is operational, while construction of the hospital will create 100 jobs.
The site was purchased by hotelier Allen Flynn, builder Martin Fitzgibbon and Paul Talty for €5.2 million from Clare County Council in 2005.
Planning permission had been secured for a hotel on the site but this did not go ahead.
Last year, An Bord Pleanála refused planning permission for a 100-bed hospital proposal for Shanvogh, Woodstock, Ennis on a number of grounds. The project was opposed by local residents.
Our Lady’s Psychiatric Hospital served 189 patients prior to its closure in 2001. The hospital and grounds were sold in September 1998 to Shannon Development.
The hospital and reduced grounds were subsequently sold to Clare County Council in October 1998, Shannon Development established an Information Age Park on its portion of the grounds.