Go-ahead for outpatient medical facility in Mahon

PLANS for an outpatient medical facility in Mahon have been green lit by Cork City Council.

Irish Life Assurance plc lodged the application for the facility in December, seeking permission for the change of use of part of the existing ground floor and the entire first floor of Block B at City Gate Park from permitted office use to outpatient medical services use.

A document accompanying the application noted that Mahon has “proven itself to be a highly successful and accessible location from a healthcare perspective” and that the presence of facilities such as the Mater Private Network Cork, the Vhi SwiftCare Clinic, and Sims IVF has “significantly added” to the healthcare offering for the Cork and wider Munster area.

“The proposed development site is currently unoccupied, with the previous office tenant having vacated the space,” it said.

“Given the current issues facing the office sector post covid-19, and the preference for hybrid working among office staff, the ability to secure a new office tenant(s) is extremely limited.

“Noting the emerging healthcare cluster in the Mahon area, there is now the opportunity to provide additional healthcare facilities to complement adjacent operators in that sector, and to meet demand.”

The document stated that the application responds to an “increased need for outpatient medical facilities in the aftermath of the covid-19 pandemic and the backlog of demand which currently exists”.

“The proposed development if permitted, would represent a very significant additional investment in healthcare facilities in Cork, strengthening and consolidating Mahon’s function as an office and healthcare employment cluster, and will support existing and proposed investment in high quality public transport links in Mahon,” it added.

The application said there would be no elevational changes to the existing building to facilitate the proposed medical use.

Cork City Council sought further information, including the number of staff members to be employed at the centre and the number of patients it could facilitate, before making a decision on the application.

The local authority was subsequently informed that an end user for the proposed development has yet to be identified.

Regarding patient numbers, the council was told that all prospective patients would be outpatients and would avail of medical services by appointment only, with no walk-in service provided.

Cork City Council has now granted permission for the proposed change of use.

The local authority’s decision is subject to 11 conditions, which have yet to be published.