Hospital foundation buys building to house new cancer care centre

A hospital foundation has acquired a new premises for its dedicated cancer care centre in Cork city after a planning setback delayed the project last year.

The Mercy University Hospital Foundation has announced that it has acquired 9 Dyke Parade for the development of the centre, very close to the site it had originally hoped to develop but which was shot down following an appeal to An Bórd Pleanála.

Foundation CEO, Micheál Sheridan, said creating a dedicated cancer care centre close to the Mercy University Hospital (MUH) has been a long-term plan of the foundation.

“We are delighted to have secured a suitable building to progress to the next stage,” he said.

“Unfortunately, we faced a number of obstacles along the way but we never lost determination as we know how important it is to be able to provide the patients of the Mercy with a service like this.

“I would like to thank everyone who has supported our fundraising efforts to date as without their help, none of this would be possible.”

In January 2018, Cork City Council granted planning permission, with certain conditions, to the Foundation for the development of its Cancer CARE Centre on Woods Street, which runs from Lancaster Quay to Dyke Parade, and close to MUH’s outpatient oncology unit.

The project would have required the demolition of four semi-derelict buildings on Woods Street, which were to be acquired by the Foundation, subject to the securing of planning.

But the council’s decision was appealed to An Bórd Pleanála by the owner of an adjoining property on Dyke Parade, who said she was not seeking a refusal but rather a modification of the design of the cancer centre to ensure the amenities of her property were not compromised.

She said the proposed development would have a negative impact on a small private paved yard to the rear of her property.

The Foundation had taken that issue into account in its design, and had modified the buildings to minimise the overshadowing.

However, the Bórd upheld the appeal and overturned the council’s decision, ruling that the foundation's proposed development would give rise to unacceptable levels of overshadowing and loss of daylight on the existing residences on Dyke Parade.

The Foundation now plans to develop the cancer care facility just a few hundred yards away, at 9 Dyke Parade.

Staff of the new centre will provide a range of support services to help cancer patients and their families dealing with the trauma of a cancer diagnosis.

The Foundation has received a huge amount of support from donors backing the plans with some €1.2m raised to date.

In a statement, the Foundation said the design phase of the project on the new site will begin in August and subject to the outcome of this phase, it will launch a capital fundraising campaign to complete the project as quickly as possible.