Gilford: Bannvale House Occupational Health and Wellbeing Centre plans take a step closer to becoming reality

The Gilford facility on the Moyallan Road, known as Bannvale House, provides a day-care service for adults with complex disabilities who require a high level of support.

Day-care staff work in partnership with service users, carers, allied health professionals and other agencies, to assist service users to meet their needs.

The new Occupational Health and Wellbeing Centre will be provided within an extension to Bannvale House.

It will provide a purpose-built facility for the Occupational Health & Wellbeing Team, with a focus on staff support, and medical issues such as Long Covid and chronic health conditions.

The new facility will replace the existing accommodation in Pinewood Villa, Armagh, which is unfit for purpose.

There will be minimal adjustment of the existing ground-floor of the House to provide the necessary accommodation, but the first floor will remain as an administration centre for Trust staff.

New provision will include a new-build, single-storey extension to the North East House gable on the existing parking area, a new parking area provided on an adjacent area, and amendments to the access road and paths to suit the new parking location and new landscape proposals around the House and extension.

Back in October 2024, ABC Planning officers described the plans as follows: “The extension is a single-storey structure approximately 4.15 metres in height from finished floor level, with a rooflight approximately 0.92 metres proud of the roof.

“The total floor area of the proposed extension will be 379 m2, and will provide five consulting rooms; four clinical rooms; three therapy rooms; a group room with store; a reception area with a switch room; a medical store; WC and accessible WC; a heating manifold; an open-plan entrance hall, circulation area and waiting area; and an externally accessible plant room.

“The proposed extension will have two personal external access doors and two internal link doors to the main building.

“[There are also plans for] rearranging the internal layout of the existing building; on the ground floor, replacing an office with a staff room; replacing the general office with two dedicated offices and a corridor; and replacing an office, copy room and kitchen with a larger office and waiting area.

“On the first floor, [there are plans to] replace a store and copy room with a tea point.

“it is noted that the proposal is an extension of an existing established healthcare facility, and would therefore be regarded as being an appropriate use.

“Officers also accept that the scale of appearance would be in keeping with the scale and character of development in the immediate vicinity of the site.

“The proposal for extension to the existing premises is also complemented by the provision of parking to replace that lost by the proposed extension, as well as the provision of external amenity areas.

“Living Places is an Urban Stewardship and Design Guide, the intention of which is to identify/promote a number of key principles for good place making.

“It promotes Ten Qualities of Urban Stewardship and Design, which represent the critical ingredients of successful places.

“These are listed as collaborative, responsible, hospitable, crafted, visionary, contextual, accessible, vibrant and diverse, viable and enduring.

“Officers are of the opinion that the proposal is successful in bringing together these qualities in the design and management of this urban space.

“The alterations to the listed building are minimal as they pertain to the narrow connection of the proposed extension to the listed building, and are therefore not considered to substantially alter the character and appearance of the existing building.

“The extension itself is a substantial departure in terms of design and form from the existing building, but it is of a high design standard, making use of contemporary concepts and principles, and making use of high-quality materials.

“It is therefore considered that the proposal represents good urban design.”