Elevated Heilpad/Mater site

McWotever · 23-02-2012 11:24PM #1

Big in the news today that the National Children's Hospital was refused planning permission for the Mater site.

Part of the plans included an elevated helipad.

Is an elevated pad suitable for the IRCG SN61/92? Never have seen or heard of a helicopter of that size use an inner city elevated pad.

Would you think movements would be restricted to medium lift choppers? By that I mean the IAC.

TW Mr Tayto · 24-02-2012 12:15AM

S.I. 61 (2006) states

"Only a helicopter operated in Performance Class 1 shall be permitted to operate from elevated heliports in congested areas."

Performance class 1 being:
"Performance Class 1” means, in relation to a helicopter, performance such that, in the case of critical power unit failure, it is able to land on the rejected take-off area or safely continue the flight to an appropriate landing area, depending on when the failure occurs"

It seems that suitable or not, it would be one of the obvious options for the role.

Irish Steve · 24-02-2012 01:17AM

The shape and size of that planned hospital is challenging, and from what I can see of the ABP rejection, there wasn't a helipad in the original application, even if it's on some of the views that are being bandied around now.

At over 70 Mtrs above ground, that would be one seriously challenging pad to operate on to, especially at night, given the turbulence that would be generated by the surroundings, and the building itself.

Might all come to nothing, reading the ABP rejection document earlier, it's going to take a lot more than a few cosmetic changes to get that plan through, there are just too many major issues with it for comfort.

Tenger · 24-02-2012 09:46AM

Irish Steve wrote: »

The shape and size of that planned hospital is challenging, and from what I can see of the ABP rejection, there wasn't a helipad in the original application, even if it's on some of the views that are being bandied around now.......

........Might all come to nothing, reading the ABP rejection document earlier, it's going to take a lot more than a few cosmetic changes to get that plan through, there are just too many major issues with it for comfort.

I think it is shocking that a firm of professional architects/planners were able to cost so much and still mess up the plan. You would think they would be aware of the restrictions around such a development!!

globemaster1986 · 24-02-2012 02:49PM

Tenger wrote: »

I think it is shocking that a firm of professional architects/planners were able to cost so much and still mess up the plan. You would think they would be aware of the restrictions around such a development!!

The problem is the site. In reality ABP would probably have rejected almost any design that would encorporate all the things the centre needs. It was a Bertie project originally I believe, wanted it in his constituency!

It should be built on a greenfield site somewhere in West Dublin close to the M50 making it accessible from the North, South, East and West with relative ease not in the inner city!!!

xflyer · 24-02-2012 03:06PM

I wonder how much money changed hands to get that plan drawn up. Definitely another corrupt Bertie Ahern project. The location was obviously wrong all along, the elevated pad being an example that.

The area isn't even convenient for Dubliners never mind the rest of the country.

Another example of Irish government crass stupidity.

roundymac · 24-02-2012 04:27PM

Green field site or Tallaght. Tallaght has the luas and the M7 M11 & M50 nearby and acres of land. Any other country would have for Tallaght, they would even have put a luas branch into the hospital. Same gob****es are making same mistakes.

Dacian · 24-02-2012 08:08PM

roundymac wrote: »

Green field site or Tallaght. Tallaght has the luas and the M7 M11 & M50 nearby and acres of land......................Same gob****es are making same mistakes.

Logic hgas no [place in Irish planning and/or politics.

It is the National Childrens Hospital so should be easily accessible to the whole country, not just D9.
Somewhere just outside the M50 seems to make the most sense, access from the entire city and decent road links to the rest of the country too.
And a Greenfield site can have a simple ground level heli pad to please ABP.

(Just compulsory puchase and flatten the entire Spawell complex in Templogue, build it there! They can even take a bit of land from the park adjacent. A decent Childresn hospital would be more important that a bit of greenery. There is quite a bit of 'empty' land along the N81, why not? [Lots of reasons but just throwing it out there!])

One consideration however is that the hospital must be located 'close' to the medical training centres. The Mater is a training hospital so I think this is why is was shortlisted.

micosoft · 28-02-2012 01:13AM

They can land on oil rigs and ships which would be more confined/exposed. I think the big issue is that you don't have airport type facilities (empty space & fire tenders) so there is a narrow band of acceptable weather conditions to land on a urban helipad. For these occasions Dublin Airport is a short drive up the road.

Elevated Heilpad/Mater site

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