Major Donegal Town employer granted permission for near 1,000sqm extension

The Abbott Ireland Diabetes Care centre outside of Donegal Town has been granted permission for a nearly 1,000sqm extension for office and laboratory space. 

Located in Lurganboy, a couple of kilometres south of Donegal Town, the Abbott manufacturing facility was established in the 1970s and had been substantially expanded in subsequent years. 

Proposals for the development comprise a two-storey office extension with a floor area of 614sqm, and a two-storey extension to the laboratory, with a floor area of 343sqm.

There are associated extension works to the second-floor plant room, an external steel staircase and all other site works.  

Architects, McElroy Associates, wrote in the Architects Report: “The Abbott Donegal facility is an extensive industrial campus comprising large-scale manufacturing areas, warehousing, office, support accommodation and external plant areas.

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“The production and warehousing facilities are located to the eastern rear of the site, with the administration and support functions located to the west front of the building, facing the site entrance.”

Abbott has nine sites across Ireland, including their site in Donegal, which is dedicated to diabetes care. Abbott says it is “dedicated to developing life-changing technology that will provide glucose readings faster, and with less inconvenience, to help people take charge of their diabetes.”

The facility in Donegal Town is operated daily and employs around 750 employees. 

Donegal County Council granted planning permission for the application with nine conditions, including a condition for the developer to contribute a payment of €2,674.82 in respect of public infrastructure and facilities benefiting development in the area of the Planning Authority that is already provided or is intended will be provided by the Authority.