PLANNING PERMISSION has been granted for a new €60 million private day hospital close to Cork University Hospital (CUH)which, the developers say, will complement the services provided at the larger regional hospital.
The 3G Partnership, a development company set up by the Kelleher family who own the Bishopstown Bar in Cork, is behind the Wilton Medical Centre, on Bishopstown Road in Cork.
The new medical centre will be built on a 1.1 acre site formerly occupied by an Esso petrol station and a number of private houses and will comprise close to 110,000sq ft.
The centre, the first venture by the company into healthcare provision, will include facilities for day surgery, specialist imaging and oncology services, a specialist children's clinic and a walk-in urgent care centre that will deal with minor injuries and illnesses.
The centre, designed by Cork-based award-winning architects Wilson Architecture, will also house about 60 consultants' rooms and clinics with the walk-in urgent care facility located on the ground floor which it will share with retail outlets.
According to 3G Partnership chairman Joe Kelleher Snr, the centre, which will create over 150 medical-related jobs and 100 administration jobs, will complement CUH and the private co-located hospital planned by the Beacon Medical Group for the grounds of the CUH.
The application is the third by the 3G Partnership and follows one in December 2006 which was refused by Cork City Council, another in 2007 which was granted by Cork City Council but was overturned on appeal by An Bord Pleanála.
Most of the objections related to concerns about traffic volumes and the height of the proposed development.
A third application was lodged with amendments on March 20th this year and granted on May 14th by Cork City Council with 14 conditions attached and to date no appeals have been lodged with An Bord Pleanála with the appeal period due to expire this evening.
According to a spokesman for the 3G Partnership, it's expected that construction work will take about 24 months once planning has been cleared and it's hoped that the new medical centre will be operational by mid to late 2010.
