Cork University Hospital (CUH) is Ireland’s largest teaching hospital, serving a population of 1.1 million in the south of Ireland. It has over 40 No. different medical and surgical specialities and is situated to the south-west of Cork city centre. The development comprises, inter alia, the demolition of the existing Adult Mental Health Building (a replacement building is being constructed elsewhere on the Campus), the construction of a 3 No. storey Radiation Oncology centre and the continued use of an existing pedestrian link connecting the proposed building to the PET CT building to the south. The development also included the reconfiguration of an existing public car park to the north-east of the proposed building (including the reduction in car parking spaces from 83 No. to 81 No.) and its extension to provide an additional 24 No. car parking spaces (resulting in a net increase of 22 No. spaces at this car park).

The proposed development forms part of the National Plan for Radiation Oncology (2007) (NPRO), which plans to develop 6 No. best-practice radiation facilities throughout the Country. Phase 1 of the National Plan comprised the construction of radiotherapy centres in Dublin at St James’s Hospital and Beaumont Hospital. Phase 2 will comprise centres in CUH and University Hospital Galway (UHG). (TPA has also acted as Agents for the UHG on the Planning Application.)

The Practice of Tom Phillips + Associates (TPA) was employed to provide town planning services to the Client, working closely with the scheme’s Architects, MCA Architects. Cork City Council previously granted outline planning permission for a Radiation Oncology Centre on the subject site in 2011. That Permission expired in January 2014. However, the subject Application sought “full” planning permission for the Radiation Oncology Centre. TPA provided strategic planning advice to the Applicant and Design Team and served as the Agent for the Planning Application. Planning permission was granted on 4th August 2015.