Work is due to commence early in the new year on the construction of a €5 million state-of-the-art nursing home in Sligo Town following the granting of planning permission for the project by Sligo Borough Council.

The facility, to be built at Knappagh Road by Shafin Development Ltd, the construction company owned by Westlife singer, Shane Filan and his brother, Finbarr, is expected to create up to 100 jobs. They hope to have the nursing home open for business by June 2011.

Located within the curtilage of Lisroyan House, a protected structure, the 80 bed nursing home will be among the most modern of its type in the country. Lisroyan House is not located within the development site and there are no works proposed to it.

"We are delighted to have received planning permission for what we believe will be an important project for Sligo, and we are hoping to be in a position to commence construction early next year," Finbar Filan told THE SLIGO CHAMPION.

The company is now preparing to press ahead with the second phase of the project, a retirement village comprising 20 secure houses. They hope to have a planning application for this phase ready for submission to the planning authorities by the Spring of next year.

The proposed nursing home's broad range of facilities will include a dedicated secure Alzheimer's Unit, and respite/convalescent unit.

Its 80 bedrooms will each be 40% bigger than the standard size nursing home bedroom, and designers, Vincent Hannon & Associates, have ensured maximum light and open space in the complex.

The 18 conditions attached to the planning permission address some of the issues raised in objections to the development.

The developers are being asked to pay €110,000 to the planning authority as a contribution towards expenditure that will be incurred in respect of public infrastructure and facilities.

Residents Association from the nearby Rathedmond Estate and Orchard Road had lodged detailed objections with the Borough Council, who have granted planning permission for the project with eighteen conditions attached.

In its submission, the Orchard Road Association expressed reservations about items such as the number of car parking spaces to be provided, sewage and water surface disposal, traffic impact and the proximity of the proposed development to existing dwelling houses in the area.

It also questioned the demand for such a facility, pointing out that there are currently two private nursing homes in the town, another in Strandhill and another in Dromahair.

The wide-ranging Rathedmond residents' objection claimed that the scale of the proposed development was capable of creating great stress on the area.

It described the proposed development as "a small hospital" with staffing levels equivalent to a medium sized industrial complex.

Their submission also questioned the demand for such a facility and whether a nursing home under private control was in the best interests of the Sligo community.

They also argued that if such a private facility were permitted it would rule out the possibility of Sligo being selected as a location for one of ten community nursing homes being planned by the government over the next five years.

- JIM GRAY