St Catherine’s Association has secured additional time to complete its disability services campus in Kilcoole, Co Wicklow, supporting the phased development of purpose-built facilities for day services, administration and respite care.

The development at the former Holy Faith Convent site includes an administration centre, adult day centre, gym, respite centre with four accommodation units, wastewater infrastructure, parking and a new access road. The Wicklow County Council planning record confirms the scope of the original permission and its subsequent appeal process.

Construction has now commenced on the adult day centre, marking an important step in the wider campus programme. St Catherine’s has described this as the first phase, with later stages planned to deliver additional operational and respite capacity.

For facilities management teams, the development is significant because the campus has been designed as an integrated service environment rather than a standalone building. Its combination of day services, administration, gym facilities, respite accommodation and supporting infrastructure will require coordinated management once operational.

The project also demonstrates the importance of considering operational requirements alongside construction delivery. Purpose-built facilities can allow organisations to plan spaces, access routes, utilities and support services around the needs of the people using them.

Procurement has been an important part of bringing the facilities forward. The adult day centre tender includes the building itself as well as the new access road, car parking and wastewater pumping station, reflecting the wider infrastructure needed to make the facility operational.

St Catherine’s has also confirmed that the Kilcoole project will develop in phases. Its recent update describes the adult day centre as Phase 1, followed by further development of an Operations & Learning Centre and a Respite Centre.

The extended planning period provides greater certainty as these elements progress, allowing the organisation to continue developing the campus around its long-term operational needs rather than treating each facility as an isolated project.

The St Catherine’s project update also confirms the organisation’s intention to open the new day service in the fourth quarter of 2027, while later phases will add further capacity.

For the sector, the lesson is direct: well-planned facilities can support better long-term service delivery when building design, infrastructure, procurement and operational requirements are considered together from the outset.

Source: Irish Independent / Wicklow County Council / eTenders / St Catherine’s Association