Eli Lilly granted planning for Dunderrow expansion

PHARMACEUTICAL giant Eli Lilly has been granted permission for an expansion of its facility near Kinsale.

In October, Eli Lilly Kinsale Limited lodged an application with Cork County Council for a three-storey administration extension with intermediate mezzanine floors for welfare, office and storage use to the existing IE2b pharmaceutical manufacturing building.

It also sought permission for a single-storey extension to the groundfloor of the existing nanofiltration room located on the eastern side of the IE2b production building, along with some ancillary works.

Design report

A planning design report submitted with the application said the administration extension is required to provide canteen facilities at groundfloor level with office accommodation at the upper levels.

“The purpose of the proposed extension is primarily for administration use and will be occupied by relocated staff within the existing lE2b building,” the report said.

The extension to the nanofiltration room, it said, is required “to improve the layout of the operations that currently take place within the existing room and will not require any additional persons to be employed as a result of this extension”.

Parking

The report contended that there is an adequate number of parking facilities at the campus (located immediately south of Dunderrow village near Kinsale) to cater for the current number of employees that operate the existing facility, and therefore, no additional parking was proposed as part of the development plans.

It said the proposed extensions will be located “in the inner part of a large established site which is well screened from neighbouring properties, the adjacent road network, and nearby residences”.

The worldwide supply of active pharmaceutical ingredients for many of Lilly’s medicines are made at the Dunderrow complex.

The planning design report said that the proposed expansion would enhance and strengthen the production operations already in place at the complex.

Cork County Council this week approved the proposed expansion, with two routine conditions attached to its approval of the development.