Novo Nordisk approved for major temporary car park

Monksland-based global healthcare company Novo Nordisk has received planning permission to develop a temporary car park of 363 spaces for construction workers engaged in significant retrofit and refurbishment work at a site near its Athlone facility.

The temporary contractor's car park will be used as a park and ride facility to accommodate up to 500 construction workers who are expected to work on the project.

The development of the proposed temporary contractor's car park will also include a security and welfare modular building, two bus shelters and a bus laydown area and all associated infrastructure including connection to mains foul water and water supply, provision of drainage infrastructure, internal access routes, pedestrian crossings, site lighting and ducting, all ancillary site and development works.

Nineteen conditions have been attached to the planning permission granted by Roscommon County Council, one of which is that the temporary contractor's car park be in place for a period of not more than five years and that, on completion of refurbishment works, the site will be restored to its current condition.

Also included amongst the conditions is a requirement that onsite development and construction works take place from 7am to 7pm on Monday to Friday and from 8am to 2pm each Saturday, while the temporary car park can only be operational from 6.15am to 8.15pm on a weekday basis.

In its initial planning permission application, the company said the "construction phase for the proposed development is expected to last approximately 16-20 weeks, the 363 temporary spaces required as construction numbers associated with Novo Nordisk are expected to peak at 500 by April 2026".

The application also indicated that approximately 290 parking spaces will be allocated for construction workers on retrofit works on one building (Building 15), while approximately 73 parking spaces will be allocated for workers on retrofit works on Building 7 and Building 9.

Novo Nordisk completed the purchase of Alkermes plc (formerly Elan) in May of last year.