Hospital delivers €1m windfall to Ennis Town Council

PLANS for a private hospital in Ennis have been given the green light this week by Ennis Town Council. But there’s a sting in the tail for the developers of  the proposed €60m facility on the site of the former Our Lady’s Psychiatric Hospital, as they will have to make a €1m contribution to the council.

 

This windfall for the council is one of 23 conditions attached to the project before any work within the 19th century protected structure goes ahead. The contribution is to be made by Duesbury Limited to the local authority in respect of public infrastructure and facilities benefiting from the development.

A spokesperson for Duesbury Limited said, “We welcome the decision of Ennis Town Council to grant permission. At this stage, no decisions have been made as we are waiting for formal permission once the time period for appeals is over.”

Plans for the new hospital were unveiled last year, with Duesbury Limited stating the development would create up to 700 jobs – 100 in construction and 600 when operational. No objections to the plans had been made by members of the general public during the planning process.

Brian O’Neill, president of Ennis Chamber, welcomed the news of the decision saying, “Anything that brings new jobs to Ennis has to be commended. Apart from the healthcare professionals who will be coming to work here, there will also be jobs in construction, which are urgently needed in Ennis.

Also the quality of healthcare at the facility should assist in lifestyle improvements for people living here and using the facility.”

The former Our Lady’s Hospital on the Gort Road is listed as a protected structure in the Ennis and Environs Development Plan 2008 – 2014. It also forms part of the Architectural Conservation Area.

According to the developers, the development will consist of the construction of a four-storey healthcare facility over a basement building linked to the existing protected structure. The hospital, once completed, will provide a full range of medical and related services including 97 in-patient beds, 30 recovery cubicles, consultant suites, administration, office accommodation, pharmacy shop, catering facilities, creche, energy centre, plant rooms and all ancillary accommodation.

The development will involve partial demolition of the existing structure, provision of surface and basement car parking, surface water attenuation, connection to foul sewer and all associated site works and ground works.

According to an architectural impact assessment prepared on behalf of the developers and submitted to Ennis Town Council during the planning process, the impact of the development will be “acceptable given that they will be legible as modern additions to the hospital site, while remaining subservient to the historic structures already there.”

In making the decision to grant planning permission, the local authority stated, “Subject to compliance with conditions, the proposed development would not seriously injure the visual or residential amenities of the area, would not detract from the existing protected structure or Architectural Conservation Area, would be acceptable in terms of traffic safety and convenience for road users and would not give rise to any significant impacts on the natural heritage of the area or affect the integrity of any European site.”

Among the conditions of planning, the developers have been requested to submit a bat survey as well as a programme for the implementation of proposed mitigation measures prior to commencing development works.

Construction work on the site is limited to between 7am and 6pm Monday to Friday, and between 8am to 2pm on Saturdays with no work on Sundays, Bank or public holidays.

Before any development, a detailed works programme and method statement will need to be submitted to and agreed with the planning authority for conservation works to the existing hospital.

A full architectural survey of buildings proposed to be demolished will also need to be carried out. Prior to opening the development, a traffic and car-park management strategy will need to be submitted to and agreed in writing with the planning authority. The redevelopment of the existing hospital building will be carried out at the same time as construction works on the new build “in the interest of orderly development and for the protection of the built heritage of the area” according to the conditions.

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 four-star hotel on the site but this did not go ahead. 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.