Two valid tenders for primary care in Athlone

The HSE has received two valid tenders for the primary care site at Clonbrusk, it confirmed this week. In a statement to the Westmeath Independent on the issue, the HSE said: “The HSE received two valid tenders for the primary care site at Clonbrusk. The HSE will be engaging in discussions with the preferred bidder in the next two weeks. Following these discussions the HSE will be in a position to announce the programme for the development of the primary care centre for Athlone.†In December the Westmeath Independent revealed the HSE's plans to sell the site at Clonbrusk, on the condition that a primary care centre is constructed on the site. The site in question measures three acres and the HSE will lease by the 3,000 square metres of the development used for primary care accommodation, it said yesterday. Other developments can be constructed on the site, but they must complement a primary care centre and must also be uses included in the zoning of the land. Before Christmas the HSE confirmed that because the development is subject to planning the other uses which may be proposed for the development will have to adhere to the planning guidelines and will have to be compatible with a primary care centre development. The plan is to dispose of the site by way of a lease from the HSE for 999 years, subject to a nominal annual ground rent. The HSE will agree to lease back the newly developed primary care centre building and car park, subject to agreeing terms with the successful tenderer and subject to a satisfactory grant of planning permission. The site land is located within an area zoned 'educational/institutional/community' in the Athlone Town Development Plan 2008-2014, which means it is: “To provide for, protect and improve educational and institutional facilities such as churches, schools, libraries, museums, health centres, fire stations, graveyards, arts/entertainment facilities etc.†Permitted uses include creche/nursery, doctor/dentist, education, hospital, retirement home or training centre. Uses open for consideration for the site include cinema, community hall recreational and functional, dwelling, guest house, health centre, light industry, offices, residential institutional, restaurant/cafe, science and technology, local shops, sports facility or tourism/recreational. The site has full planning permission for the construction of a new community primary care network centre, totalling 6,400 square metres in two blocks, party three-storey and part four-storey construction, along with associated roads, car park, sub-station, landscaping and external works.