€5m primary care centre plans are refused permission
By Maurice Garvey
SOUTH Dublin County Council has refused permission for the development of the proposed €5 million primary care centre at Ballyowen Castle Shopping Centre in Lucan.
Plans by the HSE to install a four-storey building in the heavily built-up retail area, were met by fierce objections from local residents and representatives.
Residents raised concerns about the scale of the development, and its impact on local amenities – along with increased traffic and ramifications for two existing health centres in the area.
The Lucan Health Centre, located in the village, and the Rosse Court Resource Centre in Balgaddy, may be forced to close once the new centre opens.
Proposals for the 2,900 sq.m. four-storey centre were initially lodged in January by Ballyowen Castle Primary Care Centre Ltd.
In refusing permission for the plans on November 5, the council said the development would be too high for adjacent houses and sub-standard provision of car-parking would represent “overdevelopment of the site.”
Planners said the location of the proposed development within “the busy Ballyowen Shopping Centre” would have a “substantial shortfall” in car-parking provision – endangering public safety by reason of traffic hazard.
Local authority planners were not satisfied with evidence provided by applicants, that the development would not result in an overbearing impact on neighbouring houses.
Planners felt it would set an undesirable precedent for other similar developments, and be contrary to “sustainable development”.
They were also not satisfied that use of a 2012 data in traffic impact assessment submitted as additional information, provided an adequate assessment for the proposed development.
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