Opposition to proposed Quin nursing home

A PLANNING application to develop an 82-bedroom nursing home at Monanoe, Quin has been met with local opposition.

Since the application was lodged with the county council earlier this year by Coillte Teoranta, seven local objectors, as well as An Taisce, have raised concern in relation to water management and public and road safety.
The application relates to the development of a two-storey nursing home with a 5,559.4m2 gross floor area, which would be bounded to the south by the Doora Clarecastle Road and to the north by the R469.
The application also seeks permission to provide ancillary services including service road and yard as well as a new gated vehicular and pedestrian access from the Doora Clarecastle Road. If successful, it would also provide 31 surface car-parking spaces, a proprietary waste-water treatment system and percolation area, surface water drainage and associated site development works.
Concerns raised in objections to the proposed development relate to issues of traffic disruption and congestion, possible flooding issues, environmental concerns and concerns regarding the water and sewage facilities.
Other issues raised in the submission process included that the site was unsuitable for a nursing home and that there was insufficient demand as the area was already being served by nursing homes in the Ennis area.
If further information is not sought, a decision is expected on this application by the end of the month. Meanwhile, two applications for nursing homes in Tulla have been met with concern from The Clare Association of An Taisce, which has stressed that permission not be granted for two such facilities in the same area.
The applications in question relate to a 30-bed nursing home facility, which is being sought by John and Ted Nugent, while the second facility is a 60-bed nursing home proposed by Mary Coleman and Geraldine Cosgrove. Both facilities have a site address in Tulla.
In a submission to the Nugent application, An Taisce stated, “We realise that there is a tax incentive for nursing and sheltered homes for the aged but these should keep to the following conditions: the site should be in walking distance from services, easy access to homes or rooms from parking spaces for those with disabilities and plenty of green spaces and community areas.”
The submission added, “There is another application for a larger nursing home in close proximity of this one but this location is closer to Tulla centre.
“It is also smaller and will therefore put less stress on the water management and medical services. Our choice between the two developments (and we stress, there should not be two), would be this one because of its low-density character, with plenty of open and green spaces and some community aspects involved.”
Furthermore, in its submission to the Coleman and Cosgrove application, An Taisce stated, “This is one of three nursing home applications in the general area and two of which are in Tulla. Demographics would stress that one should be chosen.”
The letter added, “We are concerned that this very large development would put too much stress on these [water] services.”