Council gives green light for second radiotherapy facility

A SECOND private hospital with radiotherapy facilities has been given the green light.

Waterford City Council has approved a change to its development plan to allow Harlequin Healthcare develop the facility at Kilbarry on the outskirts of the city.

Any potential objectors now have four weeks to make their submissions to the authority, before the project is given the full go-ahead.

Just last month, Waterford County Council also approved a change to its plan to allow for a separate hospital, also mooted by a private consortium, at Butlerstown.

Mayor Seamus Ryan said while the second project has been given the green light, all who backed the project have to wait a month to see if there are any objections. It is thought that as in the case of the Cork Road project, no objections will be raised.

Last week, Waterford City Council confirmed representatives acting for the first hospital at Butlerstown North on the main Waterford Cork road made an approach to the authority regarding the hospital at the Kilbarry site.

Three Waterford City councillors confirmed they were approached by a consultant acting on behalf of the project already given the green light, questioning them on the rezoning for the Harlequin project. It was suggested that Waterford could not support two such hospitals. A spokesperson for the Cork Road project said an approach was made by a Dublin agency to a small number of councillors, on their behalf. But the spokesperson added that they just wanted to ensure the council was fully briefed and had all the necessary information, before making their decision.

However, one councillor, who declined to be named, said the approach appeared to be negative and he felt it was unwarranted.

A spokesperson for Harlequin declined to comment.

Meanwhile, the developers behind the Cork road hospital say 200 jobs will be created during construction and 150 long-term positions will come on stream when operational in mid-2006.