Tipperary equine hospital treating €8m racehorses gets green light for expansion
A Tipperary veterinary hospital that cares for multi-million euro racehorses has been granted planning permission for a new extension.
Kilnockin Partnership submitted plans to Tipperary County Council to build an extension to Fethard Equine Hospital on the Kilknockan Road in Fethard.
The plans would see a two-storey laboratory building built, with veterinary staff offices, storage rooms, and a plant room, along with a bin store, two overnight bedrooms for veterinary nurses, and a staff canteen.
The hospital said some horses treated at the facility can be worth more than €8 million, creating a need for round-the-clock monitoring and overnight staff accommodation.
The lab extension comes amid new rules for processing samples, as well as the difficulty in processing the large amount of samples that the hospital has, a letter in support of the application said.
“This laboratory conducts diagnostic testing in microbiology, haematology, biochemistry, serology, cytology and PCR. Sample materials include blood, urine, swabs and other equine clinical specimens,” Patrick Halley, an agent for the applicant said.
“This process is currently carried out in the main veterinary hospital building, however the lab size there is under pressure with the volume and complications attached to some testing,” they added.
“Haematology and chemistry now have to be separated from virology and microbiology to get accreditation.”
Mr Halley said that the overnight accommodation on site is needed as staff are onsite at the hospital 24 hours a day, seven days a week looking after the animals, and because the hospital looks after multi-million euro racehorses, who often have their own caretakers who come and stay with them.
“There are 24/7 staff on duty at the hospital between January and June in particular which would include surgeons, anaesthetists and veterinary nurses who are required to monitor continually horses in recovery or surgery overnight,” Mr Halley said.
“These members of staff will not reside on the premises but there is a requirement for at least overnight beds with shower facilities as a minimum.
“Horses with a value of €8 million or more will regularly have their own attending staff who will be in attendance overnight,” he added.
The veterinary hospital is also running out of storage, Mr Halley said, owing to the number of patients they currently care for.
“Similarly, storage areas are under pressure at the existing veterinary hospital and additional capacity is to be provided in this building,” he explained.
Now, Tipperary County Council have granted planning permission for the development, subject to seven planning conditions.
Included among the conditions are that surface water from the new development will be collected sseparately to slurry and other farmyard materials in an attempt to protect local watercourses and minimise the amount of farmyard waste generated.
The council planners also stipulated that no demolition or construction works can take place on the site on Sundays, public holidays or bank holidays, and that all efforts should be made to recycle and reuse demolition materials within the site.
Kilnockin Partnership also have to pay a financial contribution of €14,740 to Tipperary County Council for connections to services and infrastructure provided by the local authority.