€2.5m intellectual disability centre planned for Clonakilty
Work is expected to begin next spring on the first phase of the development by the group CoAction — a clinical facility and child services area, as well as a training centre and cafe for adults is envisaged. Planning permission is being sought for the building, which will cater for up to 85 children and 25 adults, and is expected to cost in the region of €1.5m.
It is hoped that this tranche will have been completed by mid-2013.
Phase Two, a residential facility, depends on the provision of grants from the Department of the Environment.
“These grants have been stopped for the past few years so we are waiting for their reinstatement,” said Maurice Walsh, chief executive of CoAction.
The housing, he said, would comprise a mix of local authority houses and supported independent living for CoAction.
The residential accommodation will comprise five units, each of which will have a capacity to accommodate two people. Three of the units are earmarked for CoAction clients.
The development will take place at Convent Way, at the Cork approach to the town but close to the heart of Clonakilty.
“This is the fourth major project that CoAction will have undertaken in the last five years,” said Mr Walsh.
He said 75% of the money would come from fundraising.
“Overall, most of our developments have come about due to fundraising but, because of the difficulty in accessing many state grants, our recent project, the Child and Family Centre in Bantry, was 100% funded by the proceeds of fundraising.
“The support of the people of Clonakilty is crucial. This will be a major addition to the town and surrounding area and we will work with the business people and organisations in the town and surrounding areas to build support for our fund raising efforts.”
The development, Mr Walsh said, would be at the heart of the community “and would include state-of-the-art facilities for the region as well as providing purpose-built housing specifically designed to facilitate supported independent living accommodation for service users”.
Preparation for a planning application is at an advanced stage while an extensive public awareness and publicity campaign is scheduled to begin in the coming months, Mr Walsh added.
