A new 131-bedroom nursing home on the site of the former Warwick Hotel in Salthill has been granted planning permission by Galway City Council.

The four-storey development is planned for an area that also encompasses the adjoining site of the former Oasis nightclub, a former small shop unit and two semi-detached houses, all of which have been demolished.

The company behind the plan, Bartra Property (Galway NH) Limited, had applied last year for permission to build a 154-bedroom nursing home, part four-storey, part five-storey, on the 1.3 acre Upper Salthill site.

However, following concerns raised by city planners and local residents, the company scaled back the plans to an overall height of four storeys – lowering the maximum height by 1.3m – and a reduction of 23 in bedroom numbers.

The owners of the Warwick site, Sharon and Paul Conlon of Rushmany Nursing Home Ltd, purchased the former hotel at the end of 2015 for a figure believed to be in the region of €700,000 and the following year secured planning permission for its demolition.

They were granted planning permission by Galway City Council for a 60-bed nursing home, a decision that was confirmed by An Bord Pleanála in 2019 after the sole objector failed to turn up at an oral hearing into his appeal.

However, the nursing home was never built and last July the new application, encompassing the hotel site and the site of the adjoining properties, was made by Bartra, a company owned by property developer Mike Flannery.  Among the large projects his company is involved in is the O’Devaney Gardens redevelopment in Dublin, which will deliver more than 1,000 new homes. He is also a director of Bartra Healthcare, a group of nursing homes and transitional care units.

A number of submissions were made to Galway City Council in relation to the proposed development, mainly by residents of the neighbouring Lenaboy Park.

Most welcomed in principle the construction of a nursing home on a site that one said had been an eyesore for years, and another said it would bring significant benefits to the local community, where there was an ageing population with a rising demand for quality elder care facilities.

But several expressed concerns about the height and density of the proposed nursing home and its overshadowing or overlooking effect on their homes, while fears were also expressed that 30 carparking spaces were too few and could lead to overspill parking in their area.

In deciding to grant permission for the nursing home, the City Council has laid down a number of conditions, including a requirement to erect a barrier to protect the masonry section of the historic gateway leading into Lenaboy Park during construction.

The developers must also prepare a newsletter giving an outline of the length of the construction period, the construction hours, method of delivery of materials/goods etc, to be be sent to the nearby residential estates and business – with an update to be sent out at least every four months during construction.

In addition to the standard contribution of €222,240 to the City Council towards the cost of provision of public services, the company must also make a special financial contribution of €30,000 towards the cost of provision of junction improvements in the area.

Pictured: An image of the original proposal for the nursing home — the developers have been given the green light after agreeing to remove the fifth storey.