Cararroe private clinic back before planners
CONTROVERSY SET TO BE REKINDLED AS DEVELOPER SEEKS EXTENSION TO PLANNING
A controversial plan to build a private hospital on the outskirts of Sligo town at Carraroe is back up before Sligo County Planners.
The new owner of the lands, Mr Eoin McGovern, has applied for a five year extension of duration of planning permission.
Planning permission was granted by An Bord Pleanála on appeal in September 2012. That will expire on 4 th September.
Sligo County Council originally refused planning for the clinic in December 2010.
The then developers - local solicitor Peter Martin, Summerville Nursing Home owner Mary Gilmartin and developer Noel Elliott - appealed this decision to An Bord Pleanála in January 2011.
The plan is to build a three storey hospital building of almost 13,000sqm, car parking for approximately 240 cars with a link road feeding onto the Oakfield Road/ Carraroe Roundabout.
Mr McGovern, said in his recent application that the projected start date of the hospital was “not yet ascertained.”
Explaining the reasons why it had not been built in the past five years, Mr McGovern said he bought the property “some time after planning was granted.”
Another reason cited was “contracts with other parties needed to carry out development.”
He said there were no changes to the Sligo County Development plan that would render the hospital inconsistent with the proper planning and development of the area and added that the hospital was “not inconsistent” with the Sligo Development Plan.
Sligo County Councillors drew strong criticism from Irish Times columnist Fintan O’ Toole back in November 2009 for rezoning 16 acres for the hospital, against the recommendations of the then County Manager Hubert Kearns.
The proposed hospital attracted objections from many quarters, both locally and nationally.
In refusing the plan initially, County planners said it conflicted with the route selection process for the City Bypass.
Planners also weren’t happy with the “inadequacy and incompleteness” of their archaeology impact assessment.
A partial area of the site flooded during the heavy rains of November 2009.
The public have until 14 th of August to make submissions to Sligo County Council.
County Planners are due to make a decision on the hospital by the 4 th of September 2017.