Plans for Kinnegad hospital withdrawn

Plans for a multi-million euro advanced brain injury (ABI) rehabilitation centre outside Kinnegad have been withdrawn by the development consortium behind the project, the Westmeath Examiner has learned.However, the team behind the proposal has said that it will resubmit the proposal after some “minor but important” changes to the plan have been made.Jepp Developments Ltd applied to Meath County Council last year for planning permission to build a 17,000 square metre ABI rehabilitation centre on a site off the Dublin-Galway N4 at Hardwood, on the Meath side of Kinnegad - just short of a mile from Kinnegad’s Main Street.The application envisaged that the €60 million development would 400 jobs to run the centre alone, with the potential for another 250-300 indirect jobs, and many more for the construction of the complex.Six weeks ago, on June 29, plans were withdrawn by Jepp just under a month after they replied to a further information request made by planners in Navan.The planning application went to the FI stage in September 2009, and Jepp was granted a three-month extension to supply the information. They did so on June 3, but at the end of the month, the plans were withdrawn.Two new submissions have been lodged in relation to the development: one by Jim and Mary Fox, one by John and Anna Flanagan, all of Hardwood, Clonard.