Fears over structural damage to a house has resulted in an appeal over a primary health care centre off Séamus Quirke Road in Galway.

Earlier this year, the City Council had granted planning for the construction of a €50 million primary care centre to Valley Healthcare.

The proposed development, which is termed ‘a diagnostic superhub’, is to be constructed over eight floors and will have two GP practices, various therapy services, a pharmacy and an ambulance base.

A number of local residents had voiced their opposition to the development on the three-acre site on the grounds of lack of parking and increased traffic volumes in the area.

And one nearby resident, in her appeal to An Bord Pleanála, stated that she feared for the structure of her home, given that an underground car park has been proposed as part of the development.

Valley Healthcare, a development partner of Glencar Healthcare, the latter which is chaired by former HSE Chief Executive Brendan Drumm, secured planning permission on three acres of land owned by the Ó hUiginn family off Séamus Quirke Road.

It is also to accommodate a four-storey Tusla building with interview and access rooms, along with an ambulance deployment building with support rooms and rest areas for ambulance staff.

Planning was also granted for more than 120 car parking spaces in the underground carpark and for 220 bike parking spaces.

The original proposal for the primary care centre was for a building up to nine storeys in height, but this was scaled back following concerns expressed by planners.

A total of 18 submissions to the proposals were received from nearby residents, including one from the Highfield Park Residents’ Association, which said the health care centre proposal was welcome, but they objected to it as presented to the Council.

Despite revisions to the initial plans, a further seven objections and submissions were received by the City Council – some expressed concerns that the blocking of land would lead to flooding on adjacent property.

In her appeal to An Bord Pleanála, the local woman stated that the “intrusive site works” to provide the underground car park would destabilise her dwelling house.

It would also result in unacceptable levels of noise, dust and vibration during construction works.

According to the appeal, the storm water movements in the area would be displaced as a result of the excavation works and cause potential flooding in the future.

A decision on the appeal is due on February 20, 2024.