Offaly County Council has given planning permission for a primary care centre to be built in Edenderry.
Speaking to the Offaly Independent Edenderry councillor Noel Cribbin said the proposed project is “good news for Edenderry and it can’t come quick enough”.
Cllr Cribbin said he first mooted the idea of a primary care centre for Edenderry some three years ago after hearing money was to be put aside for similar centres throughout the country.
With backing from Jim Curran in the HSE and landowner Hugh McGill of BPMK Ltd, the project progressed and planning permission was eventually sought from Offaly County Council last December.
The application that has been approved by Offaly planners includes the construction of a two storey primary care centre building that will house general practitioner suites, a dental clinic, a wound clinic and speech therapy rooms among others.
The proposed development will be located on Downshire Drive in Edenderry, and will include its own off street parking.
Cllr Cribbin said the primary care centre will take pressure off hospitals and cater for people in Edenderry, the wider north Offaly region and some of Kildare and Meath.
“It’ll basically mean if I fall and break my wrist or my arm, instead of going to hospital I’ll go to the primary care centre in Edenderry,” he explained.
“Anyone in this area who has a small incident will be sent to the primary care centre. It’ll be a huge addition to Edenderry and the outlying areas.”
Cllr Cribbin said the proposed centre reaches to approximately 16,000 square feet, and could be valued at €1.2m when land and building costs are included.
He said the centre will take between eight and ten months to build once ground is broken, and discussions are already underway with a view to finding a GP to move to the centre.
Cllr Cribbin pointed out that the project will need a substantial number of workers in the construction phase, as well as permanent workers once the centre is completed and open. “They’re all here in abundance in Edenderry,” he said.
“From my point of view it’s a huge bonus to the wellbeing and the health of the people of Edenderry, north Offaly, Kildare and Meath,” he said.
“This state of the art premises to be built hopefully in the next year will employ substantial numbers in building alone and then a substantial number in the building. The bottom line is this is good news for Edenderry and it can’t come quick enough.” Source: The Offaly Independent.
Outline planning permission was granted to the project by Offaly planners with twelve conditions last Thursday, June 13. Full planning permission will be granted pending no appeals to An Bord Pleanála four weeks from that date.
– See more at: http://www.offalyindependent.ie/news/roundup/articles/2013/06/21/4016391-green-light-for-edenderry-primary-care-centre/print#sthash.qnxW686F.dpuf
