Further calls on council to reject plan for Arden Lane Hospice site

A number of new planning submissions have called on Offaly County Council to refuse permission for a proposed Midlands Hospice development at a site on Arden Lane in Tullamore

A detailed submission to Offaly County Council from Declan Brassil and Company, on behalf of Condron Concrete, urges the council to refuse planning permission to locate the specialist palliative care unit for the midlands region on a site in Arden Lane located near its facility, stating that the proposed use is a material contravention of the zoning objective; is incompatible with adjacent and adjoining industrial development; has the impact to give rise to amenity and operational impacts for the proposed use; represents a haphazard and piecemeal planning approach and is not consistent with the proper planning and sustainable development of the area.

The submission states: "Condron Concrete fully supports the provision of this important facility on a suitable site in Tullamore."

However, it noted that the proposed hospice has particularly sensitive needs and it is a potentially sensitive neighbour in any area.

"As such, its location, siting and design require particularly careful attention," the submission states.

The submission adds that it is important that the site selected is appropriately zoned for the proposed use and that the siting and design can appropriately mitigate external effects generated by all adjoining and adjacent land uses, so that the particular sensitivities of the hospice use are not adversely affected, and that the operation of adjoining and adjacent established used are not adversely affected.

The submission points out that Condron Concrete has operated from its Arden facility since the 1960s and employs 170 people.

The facility processes and manufactures concrete and plastic products and operates on a 24-hour basis, including internal and external processing, manufacturing, storage and loading and unloading activities, including forklift movements.

“Consistent with other industrial facilities in the Arden area, the facility generates traffic, noise, dust, water and light emissions. Condron Concrete continually invests in environmental controls to ensure that it manages impacts and continues to be a good neighbour,” its submission states.

“Condron Concrete has a legitimate concern that the location, siting and nature of the proposed hospice use in such close proximity to the Arden facility and surrounding industrial uses has the significant potential to adversely affect the amenities and operation of the proposed hospice use and the ongoing operation and expansion of the established Condron facility,” the submission states.

It points out that the proposed hospice site is on lands zoned for 'Open Space, Recreation and Amenity' and submits that a hospice use would reasonably come within the scope of 'hospital', 'primary care, health centre and clinics' and 'nursing home/retirement village', all of which are deemed 'not normally permitted' on land that is zoned 'Open Space, Amenity and Recreation'.

Another submission on the planning application from Thomas J. Martin, a trustee of the pitch and putt club lands, adjacent to the proposed Arden Lane hospice site, also calls for the application to be refused permission.

He has objected to the hospice being located at this site and said it would be appropriate for an alternative site to be allocated as a matter of urgency.

In the submission, he pointed out that he was one of the current owners of the adjacent lands – the pitch and putt club – required for access to the proposed development. The submission stated that he would not provide consent for any application over lands in his legal ownership for this proposed development, or any other development, in the absence of serious concerns he had previously raised not being addressed to his satisfaction.

The submission further stated that the proposed development lands are not zoned and are not serviced in respect of access, transportation, or utility services for this type of development, while the surrounding lands are zoned industrial and that the nature of the zoning of the surrounding lands render this proposed facility "totally inappropriate in the location”.

“It would be appropriate that this proposed development is refused planning permission, and an alternative location is allocated as a matter of urgency for this very important public facility,” the submission stated.

A number of other submissions have been also been lodged on the planning application.

Offaly County Council is due to make a decision by May 29 next on the planning application by the HSE.

The proposed facility, which will serve the counties of Offaly, Laois, Westmeath and Longford, will have 20 inpatient beds, complete with ancillary services, and a separate daycare and therapy wing.