A NEW acute hospital has been earmarked for Curraheen in planning documents formulated by Cork County Council.
The hospital could form part of the long-awaited Cork Science and Innovation Park, according to Cork County Council divisional manager Declan Daly.
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The lands around the Greyhound Stadium at Curaheen are earmarked for a major science and innovation park.
The recently published Local Area Plan for the Ballincollig-Carrigaline municipal district outlines the intention to use the 100-hectare Curraheen site as a health and research campus in the years ahead.
It details UCC’s proposal to build a new Dental School and Hospital at Curraheen, under a €37m project unveiled by the college yesterday. It also highlights the potential of the site for a new acute hospital for the Cork region.
The Local Area Plan states: “University College Cork is considering relocating the Dental School and Hospital along with related facilities to the Cork Science and Innovation Park and there may be potential to provide a viable option for a new hospital for the Cork region within the site.”
Earlier this year, a HSE report on Acute Hospital Services for Cork and Kerry found that Cork needs a new hospital within the next 10 to 15 years to cope with population growth.
No location has yet been identified for the hospital but the development of the science park at a site in Curraheen has now been put forward as an option on official planning documents that will guide the future development of the county.
It was revealed yesterday that the science park is finally moving ahead after several years of stagnation. The park was originally mooted in 2008 and is designed to deliver thousands of jobs by creating a world-class cluster of science and research facilities.
Yesterday, UCC confirmed a €27m investment in the area as well as proposals to build a new dental hospital and research centre.
Mr Daly said: “There is potential for a hospital on the site. We have 100-hectares of land, so the site is big enough,” he said.
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