Setback for hospital co-location plan as oral hearing ordered

PLANS for one of the state’s biggest co-located hospitals suffered a setback last night.

An Bord Pleanála confirmed that it plans to arrange an oral hearing into the Beacon Medical Group’s (BMG) proposal to build a €250 million 185-bed hospital on the grounds of Cork University Hospital (CUH).

The decision could delay the project by up to a year. The planning appeals board has already deferred a decision on the project, due yesterday, back to November 26.

It was not clear last night when the public hearing will take place. But if a decision is made by the end of November, building work will not start for a further four months.

BMG spokeswoman Pauline Cullen said the consortium is disappointed with the decision because they had hoped work on the project would already be under way. “But we are happy to follow due process and ensure everyone’s concerns are aired,” she said.

“We will participate fully in the oral hearing and are hopeful of a positive result.”

She said BMG remains committed to the project.

Eamonn Cashell, chairman of the Laburnum Wilton Residents’ Association, one of five appellants to the project, said they are delighted. “It is we who sought the oral hearing,” he said. “We want the opportunity to put our view across because there is so much public disquiet about the scale of this project. We feel that people deserve the right to a public hearing.”

BMG was awarded the tender to build three of the State’s six planned co-location hospitals — at Beaumont Hospital, Dublin, CUH, and the Mid-Western Regional Hospital Campus in Co Limerick.

The 170-bed Beaumont project is still with An Bord Pleanála after an appeal was lodged by former Socialist TD Joe Higgins.

It is hoped work on the 183-bed Mid Western Regional Hospital project will start next week after it got the green light from Limerick County Council and the one appeal was deemed invalid.

However, the hospital planned for CUH has faced trenchant local opposition.

Despite the fact that co-location is Government policy, the Cork project was described by Foreign Affairs Minister Micheál Martin as “unsustainable” on the CUH campus.

However, the council granted planning permission in March.

Five valid appeals were lodged with An Bord Pleanála by Socialist party city councillor Mick Barry, Green party Senator Dan Boyle and party colleague, Councillor Chris O’Leary, the Wilton Gardens Residents’ Association, Laburnum/Wilton Residents’ Association along with an appeal from a couple of private citizens.