An application has been submitted for the change of use of a former day care centre to a 50-bedroom nursing and dementia care home to “meet demand” in Newry.
Proposals – in the name of Mr Cathal O’Neill of Kilmorey Care Ltd. – relate to property at 2 Warrenpoint Road and request permission to extend, refurbish and link through to the adjacent nursing home facility, ‘Orana House’.
The site was formerly home to Newry City SureStart and Early Years centre, however, recently signs displaying ‘Kilmorey Care Nursing and Dementia Care Home – Coming Soon’ have recently been displayed on the entry gates to the premises.
The application site is 0.95 hectares located on the main arterial route from Newry to Warrenpoint within the grounds of the Sisters of Mercy Convent and Nursing Home.
It currently contains several vacant buildings, structures and green spaces associated with the former children’s and family centre.
The principle building on site, Orana House, is a large two-storey, red brick building, which features a single-storey boiler house extending to its northern side, with projecting chimney feature.
The site also incorporates a section of the neighbouring nursing home at 1 Home Avenue, which is operated by the applicant Kilmorey Care Ltd.
Presently, most of the buildings on site are boarded up to reduce anti-social behaviour stemming from the period of vacancy. Thus, the applicant argues that bringing these properties back into productive use is “critical” for maintaining safety and security.
The proposals seek to provide residential care accommodation, including specialist nursing and dementia care units within a 50-bed facility. It includes the refurbishment of 30 existing bed spaces, ten specialist nursing care beds and ten dementia care beds.
Associated communal accommodation, staff facilities, servicing and parking areas are also proposed.
If approved, the applicant will construct several new annexes along the northern, eastern and western ends, linking the existing bungalow building, main building and nursing home at 1 Home Avenue.
According to the Planning Statement: “The primary extension centres on a single storey specialist unit positioned at the front of the boiler house building, which will feature a dedicated single storey connection leading directly into 1 Home Avenue.
“The project avoids any major structural demolition, save for the removal of minor works. Furthermore, where two storey extensions are proposed, they have been carefully designed to remain at or below the existing roofline ridge heights, ensuring that the overall external silhouette of the current structure are largely preserved.”
Providing rationale for the works, the statement adds: “The proposed development seeks to consolidate some business operations and share service areas between the existing nursing home and the proposal, offering a substantial improvement over the existing fragmented arrangement, which is currently spread across the site.”
Under plans, a total of 62 car parking spaces will be provided, with four of the 62 spaces allocated for mobility impaired car parking spaces.
As the proposed extension will take up a portion of the existing carpark, the applicant has mitigated for this by allowing for additional car parking at the lower car parking area.
The application is due to be advertised shortly.
