Fresh hold-up to plan for Kanturk Hospital

A LONG-AWAITED and badly needed multi-million euro plan to refurbish Kanturk Community Hospital seems certain to be delayed after County Council planners requested further information on the planning application lodged in August for the proposed redevelopment.

That application, which came after years of lobbying, included provision for the construction of a 31-bed facility and other works to the existing hospital building and grounds, which was built in 1927.

However, it emerged this week that planners have written to the HSE saying that the information submitted within the application was “not yet sufficient” to enable them to make a final decision on it.

They have given the HSE six months in which to reply to their request for further information in relation to a number of issues, including car parking, the disposal of surface water and how the HSE intends to provide water for fire fighting purposes.

Local county councillor Bernard Moynihan (FF) said he was “disappointed” at the latest chapter in the long-running saga over the redevelopment of the hospital.

“I was surprised to see that many of these issues, were not addressed in the original planning application,” he said.

CONCERNS have been raised that a multi-million euro plan to refurbish Kanturk Community Hospital may be delayed after County Council planners requested further information on the planning application lodged in August for the proposed development.

Back in 2016, funding of more than €9 million had been allocated for the upgrading of both Kanturk and Millstreet hospitals after reports issued by the Health and Information Authority (HIQA) highlighted major flaws in operating procedures and conditions at both HSE administered facilities.

The following year it was announced that a design team had been appointed to the Kanturk development and in September of last year the HSE said it expected a planning application for the project to be lodged within a matter of months.

That application, which included provision for a the construction of a 31-bed facility and other works to the existing hospital building and grounds, which was built in 1927, was finally lodged at the start of August.

However, it emerged this week that planners have written to the HSE saying that the information submitted within the application was “not yet sufficient” to enable them to make a final decision on it.

They have given the HSE six months in which to reply to their request for further information in relation to a number of issues, including car parking, the disposal of surface water and how the HSE intends to provide water for fire fighting purposes. They have also been asked to submit a survey identifying which trees will be removed to facilitate the development and a landscaping plan for the site.

A full breakdown of the further information request can be viewed through the planning section at www. corkcoco.ie.

Responding to the request, local county councillor Bernard Moynihan (FF) said he believed it could set the project back by months.

“I am very disappointed at this development and surprised to see that many of these issues were not addressed in the original planning application. Many of these are quite intricate matters, so I can see this project delayed once again, perhaps by months,” said Cllr Moynihan.

“I will be working to ensure these matters are addressed as soon as possible,” he added.