Primary care centre plans thrown out after appeal
By Maurice Garvey
PLANS for a major HSE primary care centre in Ballyowen have been rejected on appeal by An Bord Pleanála (ABP).
On behalf of the HSE, Marston Planning Consultancy lodged an appeal with the Board, in an attempt to overturn South Dublin County Council’s decision to refuse permission for the proposed €5 million primary care centre in Lucan.
Plans to build a four-storey 2,900 sq.m. building in the heavily built-up retail area at Ballyowen Castle Shopping Centre, met fierce objections from local residents and representatives – concerned about the scale of the development, and its impact on local amenities and traffic.
Local representatives also cited concern for the future of two existing health centres – Lucan Health Centre in the village, and Rosse Court Resource Centre in Balgaddy.
In refusing permission for the plans last November, 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.
In dismissing the appeal, ABP considered the proposed development would “constitute overdevelopment of this local centre” and “seriously conflict with the zoning objective for the site.”
The Board felt the proposal would be “seriously deficient in terms of car-parking provision” and would “endanger public safety by reason of traffic hazard.”
Independent councillor Paul Gogarty welcomed the Board’s decision.
Cllr Gogarty said: “it was too high for the location and would have eaten into existing car-parking space and exacerbated traffic problems.
“We’ve already earmarked the existing Rosse Court lands as a suitable alternative site in the Development Plan, while Adamstown also has a primary health care facility written into the plan. I will again bring this to the HSE’s attention at the next Regional Health Forum meeting.”
