Privateclinicis orderedtoclose

January 2009

A FORMER casino premises being used as a private clinic in Wicklow town has been ordered to close down.

Wicklow Town Council said the South Quay clinic had been operating without planning permission and an application for a change of use was never submitted.

The matter was brought to the attention of Wicklow Town Council officials late last week.

A Town Planner visited the site where there was a brown cardboard sign hanging on the front door listing three doctors and advertising the premises as the South Quay Clinic.

Acting Town Clerk, Theresa O’Brien, said ‘an (enforcement) notice has been served for an unauthorised development. We haven’t received any planning application for a change of usage.

‘It was last in use as a casino and a planning application has to be lodged for any change to that usage.’

She said the doctors have to immediately bring a halt their work out of South Quay and have 28 days to reply to the enforcement section of the council in a satisfactory manner. Cllr. Irene Winters said she was surprised that the correct planning procedures weren’t followed by the practice.