Cork City Council intends to grant planning permission for a proposal to build an €80m private hospital.

The council recently confirmed it intended to give permission for the 93-bed hospital on Lancaster Quay on the Western Road, which will create up to 300 permanent jobs and a further 350 jobs during construction.

The hospital project has been tied up in planning for the past 18 months and was granted planning permission by the council in July 2009 only for the project to be appealed to An Bord Pleanála.

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The board upheld the appeal and refused planning permission last December.

However the developer, O'Callaghan Properties submitted revised plans to the council in March.

Although those who made observations can still object up until May 30th, council planners have indicated to the company that it is their intention to grant the permission.

Work is expected to begin on site by September, with construction completed within a year.

The 120,000sq ft, six-storey hospital would be located on a two-acre portion of the former Jurys site.

It will include six operating theatres, 20 consulting suites, surgical day beds and recovery beds as well as an intensive care unit. It will only carry out elective work.

O'Callaghan Properties had already confirmed last year that it has agreed a deal with health care operators La Tour of Switzerland and the Health Care Partnership, to run the new hospital while the project is being backed by a European private equity fund.

(BMcC/GK)