Council’s concern over proposed Merlin Park nursing home

Plans to construct a new 60-bed Community Nursing Unit on the grounds of Merlin Park Hospital – with dining rooms, family overnight room, treatment rooms and internal courtyard – have hit a stumbling block over traffic safety and parking.

The HSE proposal on the 4.4-acre site is for 25 bedrooms (with 50 beds) and a 10-bed dementia unit, all to be located behind Unit 10 at the far end of the Merlin Park campus.

However, the City Council wrote to the HSE earlier this month and said that a Traffic Impact Assessment included with the planning application did not take Merlin Park Lane (the access point behind the hospital) into consideration.

The Council has sought a revised traffic assessment, which must also address rat-running through the hospital and how it will be controlled.

The HSE has also been told to take into account their own masterplan for Merlin Park – which includes a new 1,150-bed elective hospital and a new ambulance base – and the fact that the main access on the Old Dublin Road “is not suitable in its current format and signalisation needs to be considered”.

Clarification has also been sought on parking in general and how spaces would be managed.

According to the HSE, the reason for the proposal is the replacement of Units 5 & 6 (community care) at the hospital, as they are out of date and do not meet the current requirements of the Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) for patient quality.

The plans are part of a nationwide HSE proposal to deliver Community Nursing Units (CNUs) nationwide and is part of a specific bundle to construct nine units under a Public-Private Partnership programme.

“In general, a CNU is a residential care centre, providing modern in-patient accommodation and a variety of services/facilities for its residents, i.e., en suite bedrooms, family overnight rooms, communal day rooms for residents (sun rooms, activity rooms, quiet rooms), therapy rooms, hairdressing salon, pharmacy, kitchen/catering facilities and associated support, back of house and staff areas,” the application reads.

The plan involves the demolition of a carpenter’s workshop, storerooms and a former nurses’ accommodation building.

There are 91 parking spaces proposed on the site, including 28 south of Doughiska Road.

An objection on behalf of nine residents of Merlin Park Lane – the rear entry point to the hospital – pointed out that the use of the road for construction traffic would create “calamitous implications on an already catastrophic situation for residents and pedestrians”.

The objection notes that the cul de sac is a low-density residential area and was only ever intended to provide access to the hospital at designated peak times.

“The proposed development will result in the intensification of traffic flow through Merlin Park Lane which will be hazardous to residents and pedestrians alike.”

According to the application, the access gate is open 8am to 10am and 4pm to 6pm on weekdays only.

Residents added that the lane is four metres wide at a point just 100 metres from the rear gate of the hospital, and a 400-metre stretch has no footpaths or lighting.

Residents already have much difficulty in accessing and leaving their homes because of the volume of traffic, the objections said.

Rock-breaking would also “cause great upset, potential liability for residents and will interfere with the peaceful enjoyment of all residents”.

A separate objection signed by three residents of Merlin Park Lane said they were not against the development “as it seeks to deliver much-needed facilities to the greater community”, but traffic concerns had not been adequately addressed within the application process.

The objection noted that the Merlin Park Lane was not assessed as part of the Traffic Impact Assessment included with the application.

“No traffic monitoring calculations or projections for this access road are included. This is totally misleading in relation to the current traffic difficulties associated with this entrance and also the impact of the proposed development. It is strange that the closest access point to the development receives no detailed analysis whatsoever.

“The reality is that Merlin Park Lane has become a rat run for city-bound traffic in recent years. The intended restricted use for staff members of the hospital, whilst well intended, is not controlled in any way and this lack of control has resulted in the current situation. A combined analysis of traffic at both entrances would clearly evidence this,” the objection reads.

It adds that residents met with senior hospital officials on a number of occasions and a simple solution of installing an automatic managed traffic barrier was dismissed due to lack of funding.

The HSE has until October 1 to respond to the Council or the application will be deemed to be withdrawn.