Plans for the West’s biggest nursing home on school site

Plans for a 30-bed extension to a nursing home on St Mary’s Road – making it the biggest in the West of Ireland – have been lodged with Galway City Council.

The new rooms would help alleviate the chronic shortage of nursing home beds in the city.

The plan involves the construction of a new science and classroom block for St Mary’s School, with the existing science building being taken over by the operators of the adjacent 60-bed nursing home.

With 90-beds, it would become one of the biggest nursing homes in the country, and the biggest in the West.

The application made by St Mary’s College involves:

• A rear single-storey science and classroom block extension

• Change of use of the existing Science Building

•  A three-storey rear extension and two-storey link to St Mary’s Nursing Home

The existing building would be concerted to 10 en suite bedrooms, with a further 20 en suite bedrooms in the rear extension, as well as a two-storey glazed link to the existing nursing home.

“Given that the school is a protected structure, this proposal has taken due care in protecting the integrity and character of the buildings and their surrounds.

“The approach to the overall design and use of materials has sought to ensure that the extension and other works are sympathetic and respect its character and setting.

“The rear three-storey extension was positioned to take advantage of the projecting bays to the end of the existing building and to ensure the historic element continues to be understood.

“The extension is kept separate from the existing and linked with a small glazed link to minimise the connection between old and new,” the application reads.

The new science and classroom block would be a raised, single-storey L-shaped building, which would involve the demolition of two ball alleys and a tractor shed.

The existing €6.7 million nursing home opened in 2011

A decision on the planning application is expected from the City Council in September.