A NEW support centre for renal patients which would provide short term “home away from home” accommodation to those undergoing treatment looks set to be developed in Cork city.

Cork City Council has green-lit a planning application lodged last September by the Irish Kidney Association (IKA) who had sought permission for the change of use from two semi-detached residential dwellings in Bishopstown to “short term home away from home residential accommodation”.

The application proposed internal alterations to link both properties to provide eight bedrooms, kitchen, living and dining areas, as well as ancillary office and storage space. Permission was also sought for the repositioning and widening of both vehicular entrances and pavement dishes, in addition to some other demolition and conversion works.

The properties are located at Wilton Avenue, close to Cork University Hospital (CUH).

A smaller facility proposed by the charity in the area received planning in 2020 however, IKA submitted the current application last year as it was subsequently found that the original plan did not meet the needs of its members “in that it did not afford them adequate living space”, a shortcoming which the IKA said was brought clearly into focus by the advent of Covid-19 and it’s “disproportionately devasting effect” on their immunosuppressed members.

Speaking following city council’s grant of conditional planning permission for the revised plans, Carol Moore, CEO of the IKA, said the centre will be developed to support renal patients from all over Munster.

“In response to renal patients’ needs, the two houses will be used as a free support centre for renal patients from all over Munster who need to attend hospital in Cork for dialysis, consultations, blood tests etc. It will serve as a place the patient/their family can stay overnight or a place to rest in cases where they are unable to return home immediately after their treatment,” Ms Moore said.

Detailed design on the proposed centre is now set to commence.