Staff to be banned from some parking spaces at new children’s hospital

Staff at St James's Hospital will be banned from daytime use of designated patient car parking spaces at the new children's hospital on the site, under a condition imposed by An Bord Pleanála when granting planning permission.

The 675 spaces reserved for use by patients and visitors to the proposed new hospital must not be used by St James’s staff between 7am and 7pm, Monday to Saturday, according to the board. The aim is to avoid traffic congestion and ensure parking is available for the users of the hospital.

The board has also required that 20 “parent and child” parking spaces be reserved for parents of children with specific needs such as medical equipment, and that this extra allocation be taken from the staff car parking allocation in the development.

The board, which considered the planning application at six meetings and also visited the site, said its decision in favour of the project was unanimous. It granted planning permission subject to 17 conditions.

It said the proposal would give rise to a modern tertiary paediatric hospital serving the State and the greater Dublin area, with room for potential future expansion.

It would represent a positive design response to the St James’s campus and surrounding area and would improve the public realm in its vicinity.

The board said the proposal would not be prejudicial to public health, would not seriously injure the amenities of the area and would not have an undue impact on the architectural and archaeological heritage of the area.

“The proposed development would, therefore, be in accordance with the proper planning and sustainable development of the area.”