Plan for Midlands Hospice serving Laois put on hold

The long awaited Midlands Hospice needed to serve Laois and three other counties is delayed again, this time by planners.

A planning application by the HSE to build a hospice for Laois, Offaly, Westmeath and Longford has been placed on hold by Offaly County Council who want further information.

The proposed development at Arden Lane in Tullamore is for a 20 bedroom in-patient hospice with daycare facilities, administrative areas, 80 car parking spaces, 7, accessible parking bays and 30 covered bicycle spaces. Part of Arden Lane would be upgraded to a two-way carriageway and footpath, street lighting, and new utilities to extend to the site from a new junction with a distributor road. 

One of the submissions against the plan, comes from Offaly Hospice Foundation.

O'Neill Town Planning, on behalf of Offaly Hospice Foundation said the site is on inappropriately zoned lands with totally inadequate services and infrastructure, along with inadequate community connections or ancillary medical services, public transport and town centre facilities. The Foundation has indicated the Wellwood site on the Tullamore bypass as its preferred location.

Laois Hospice Foundation however is in favour of the plan, read here.

A long list of information is requested by the planners of the HSE, including evidence that planning regulations has been met. The council states that only three named owners of land involved have given their written permission and there is also no evidence that the Pitch and Putt Club, as owner, has given its approval or consent. The council is seeking 'evidence of legal authority for consent for this application'.

The council also requests consent of the relevant landowners of the roadside verge where that verge will be used to upgrade Arden Lane.

In addition it has queries relating to the design of the building, clinical staff attending, and space requirements to accommodate these. The council believes that these have not been fully addressed and are potentially relevant to the size, design and layout of the building being assessed by the current application.

The local planning authority points out that there are a number of third-party submissions on file and the applicant is invited to address these.

Other requests for information involve the road layout and a revised proposal for the tightening of the junction is sought. The HSE is requested to ensure that sightlines and intervisibility between drivers waiting at the Yield line on Arden Lane and westbound drivers on Arden Lane is adequate.

A report is also requested on the impacts on adjoining residences of the proposed lighting.

Further details on the proposed drainage design are required including details of the surface water drainage system from entry to disposal. Detailed calculations are required based on relevant Met Éireann rainfall data and the impact of each SUDS (sustainable drainage system) element should be demonstrated.

The applicant should include a climate change factor of 20% (Met Éireann) for rainfall in the attenuation calculations.

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The HSE is asked to submit design calculations of the required storage for a 1, 30 and 100-year storm event using the permissible discharge rates for each event.