BREAKING: Green light for large new primary care centre in Kilkenny

Kilkenny County Council have granted conditional planning permission for the development of a large new primary care centre on the Hebron Road in Kilkenny City.

Back in May, plans were submitted to the local authority by Westcourt Healthcare (Hebron) Limited for a part four and part five-storey primary healthcare building.

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In the plans, the existing primary access road from Hebron Industrial Estate was proposed to serve as the principal access route to the healthcare building and the proposed upper deck car park (89 parking spaces).

New vehicular access was also sought from the Hebron Road to serve a proposed lower deck car park (83 parking spaces).

Plans for bicycle parking, footpaths, cycle paths, public site lighting, landscaping, drainage and water mains works were also included in the original plans, as well as plans for four totem pole signs.

In a planning letter to the local authority accompanying the plans it is noted that 'extensive negotiations have taken place with Kilkenny County Council Roads department regarding access proposals for the site'.

The letter states that the building design 'has been modified and set back to facilitate a new roundabout and traffic calming measures on the Hebron Road, to be put in place by the local authority as part of an overall traffic management plan for the
area'.

In July, Kilkenny County Council requested further information from the applicant in relation to the plans including a risk assessment and a noise assessment.

The applicant was also requested to further engage and consult with the Kilkenny Municipal District Office and Active Travel Section to clarify and agree the full scope, design, layout and extent of works/land-take to ensure that the proposed development and the road improvement works can be co-ordinated and delivered, and to agree the elements of the works to be delivered by the developer and the local authority.

In total, there were nine specific requests for further information made in relation to the proposed plans and this further information was subsequently submitted by the applicant on October 16, 2023.

Kilkenny County Council then subsequently granted planning permission, subject to 24 conditions, on November 10, 2023.

CONCURRENT PLANNING APPLICATION

Tallywood Ltd are currently making a concurrent planning application to develop 30 residential units and shared car parking facilities adjoining this applicant site, which will share access via the primary access via the Hebron Estate Road.

It is intended that both developments will be developed in tandem.

A decision was made on this application today (Monday) but the outcome has not yet been released to the general public.