Nursing home operator fails in bid to stop Glenveagh development

Glenveagh Homes has secured planning permission for 77 homes and a 120-bed nursing home in Blessington, Co Wicklow.

An Bord Pleanála has given the scheme the green light despite opposition from a rival nursing home operator to the four-storey nursing home component of the development.

The residential component of the Glenveagh Homes scheme is made up of 48 apartments, 19 three-bedroomed homes and 10 two-bedroomed homes.

Wicklow County Council granted planning permission for the entire scheme in September, 2020, but the project was stalled after Downshire Lodge Nursing Home Ltd appealed the decision to the planning board in October 2020.

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The nursing home operator secured planning permission for its own 104-bed care home 250 metres from the Glenveagh Homes site on Main Street in June 2020 and argued that the Glenveagh project would result in an over-supply of nursing home beds for the area.

In its appeal, Downshire requested that the nursing home be omitted from the Glenveagh scheme.

In response, Glenveagh's planning consultant John Spain requested that the Downshire appeal be dismissed as the appeal was without substance and was made with the sole intention of delaying the proposed development by Glenveagh.

No evidence

Mr Spain said that the appeal was based on commercial considerations and no evidence has been provided to support any planning argument against the scheme.

He also that the overall development of the lands would “ provide for a suitable high-quality scheme”.

In his recommendations, the board inspector in the case, Paul O’Brien, said that the Downshire appeal ahould be dismissed.

He said that the issues raised in the appeal were “not supported with any evidence and therefore there is no information to support the appeal and the impact that this development may have on the permitted nursing home”.

“There is no evidence of there being an over-proliferation of nursing homes in the area.”

However, Mr O’Brien said that if the Downshire appeal was accepted as being proper, the entire development would have to be assessed and not just the nursing home aspect of the appeal.

Mr O’Brien recommended that planning permission be granted after concluding that that the houses were located on residentially zoned lands.