D-day for hospice appeal
The outcome of an appeal against Offaly County Council's decision to grant planning permission for the construction of a 20-bed hospice for the Midlands at a site on Arden Lane, Tullamore, is expected to be known early next week.
The appeal against the planning approval granted to the HSE for the hospice at Arden Lane in Tullamore was submitted to An Coimisiún Pleanála by Condron Concrete in January.
At the time of going to press early yesterday (Thursday) it was believed that An Coimisiún Pleanála would be issuing its judgement on the appeal by Tuesday next, June 2.
At the beginning of the year the HSE was granted permission by the local authority for the development in Tullamore, which has been allocated €24 million in capital funding from the Government.
In the appeal documentation, Condron Concrete cited "legitimate concerns" that the "location, siting and nature" of the proposed hospice, in close proximity to its Arden facility, would generate "traffic, noise, dust, water and light emissions".
The appeal requested that An Coimisiún Pleanála "upholds the decision of Offaly County Council to grant permission" for the hospice, subject to the Commission requesting the applicant "submit revised plans" for approval, or that it attach specific conditions to a grant of planning permission.
The family-run concrete business, founded in 1969, called for additional "noise attenuation structures" and landscaping on the eastern, northern and western boundaries that will "appropriately mitigate potential noise impacts".
The appeal suggested such noise mitigation measures could comprise "an acoustic barrier of a minimum of four metres above ground level" on the western and northern boundaries of the application site; selected tree planting to "generate locally pleasing noise" and the provision of a "fountain or water falling sounds" to assist with "noise masking" of off-site noise emissions.
Since then - earlier this month - the HSE lodged plans with the council for the erection of a three metre tall sound barrier around the western and northern boundaries of the planned 20-bed Level 3 hospice.
A planning application for the acoustic barrier and associated landscaping was lodged with the local authority on May 7.
According to a cover letter submitted on behalf of the HSE by Coady Architects, the installation of the acoustic barrier is "intended to enhance the site setting on the western and northern boundaries, with the proposed three metre high aluminium acoustic wall offset within the site boundary to allow for the retention the existing hedgerows".
The applicant added that a new hedgerow is due to be put in place on the site side of the boundary wall in order to "provide a visual screening of the acoustic barrier".
A decision on the HSE's planning bid for the sound barrier is due on or before Wednesday, July 1.
At the time of going to print, the appeal lodged by Condron Concrete against Offaly County Council's decision to grant planning permission for the hospice development, remained active according to the An Coimisiún Pleanála website.