Private hospital gets council’s provisional go-ahead

MOVES to build a private hospital and to relocate the Enable Ireland services in Cork city took a significant step forward yesterday.

Cork County Council has granted outline planing permission for a tract of green-belt land on the edge of Cork city at Garranadarragh, Bishopstown for a range of medical/community uses.

Included in the proposal by company Rossridge, headed up by solicitor James O’Mahony, is provision for a 500-car park-and-ride facility to service the western city and hinterland.

A key part of the plan to access the 60-acre land bank at Garrandarragh (west of Dunnes Stores) includes a new roundabout on the Bandon Road.

This will also serve the cemetery being developed by Cork County Council, by Maher’s Lane, and this roundabout is under appeal to An Bord Pleanála.

The grant of outline permission is subject to a four-week, third party appeal period, but the significance of the decision to grant approval is in the change in the land’s green-belt status.

A spokesperson for the development, lodged via Malachy Walsh Engineers, noted the intention to grant outline permission, but indicated that full planning application may not be made until next year.

No operator of the planned private hospital has been determined, but several competing groups have shown interest.

Rosridge owns 60 acres in all here, with 15 zoned for housing and potential for hundreds of houses once physical access is achieved.

Enable Ireland aims to build care facilities on a four-acre plot.

Earlier plans to also relocate St Patrick’s Hospital/Marymount Hospice from St Luke’s Cross to the Bishopstown medical campus have been changed, to a location near Curraheen.