Gordon Deegan
An Bord Pleanála has granted planning permission for €450 million “fast track” plans to construct 1,002 apartments in Cork city south docks.
The site on Centre Park Road has hosted the hugely successful Live at the Marquee concert series for the last decade.
The 1,002 apartments on the former Ford distribution site at Marquee Road and Centre Park Road, Cork are arranged across 12 blocks rising from four to 14 storeys in height.
In granting a 10-year planning permission to one of the country’s biggest house builders, Glenveagh, the appeals board ruled that the proposal would represent an acceptable quantum of development and density of development in this accessible urban location.
The appeals board concluded that the proposal is of strategic and national importance having regard to its Strategic Housing Development (SHD) status and its potential to increase the supply of housing from its current under supply.
The board also ruled that the scheme would not seriously injure the residential or visual amenities of the site.
Cork City Council recommended that planning be granted subject to certain conditions.
The board stated that the 10-year permission is reasonable given the infrastructural programmes that are planned to be delivered by the city council and other state agencies.
The board rejected a recommendation from its inspector in the case to omit one storey from one of the blocks in the development.
As part of the proposal, Glenveagh has put a price tag of €44.6 million on 100 units it intends to sell to Cork City Council as part of its Part V social housing obligations.
Sustainable expansion
Planning consultants for Glenveagh, McCutheon Halley, told the appeals board that the proposed development “will see the sustainable expansion of Cork, in line with dwelling targets set out in the Cork City Development Plan”.
They further stated that the plan “will provide residential development which is appropriate to its setting and of high-quality architectural value and quality, which is viable in development terms and will be attractive to buyers seeking quality family homes in the area”.
The consultants further stated that the proposed development “will contribute to the realisation of the housing targets for Cork and the maintenance of Cork’s compact form, while also delivering much needed high-quality dwellings to meet existing market demand in the short to medium term”.
Along with the apartments, the scheme also includes retail units, a Montessori school, a creche, a medical centre and two community resource spaces.
There are also plans for a bar, cafe and venue/performance area.
The former Ford distribution site was sold for more than €15m by Nama in late 2018 following a sale process which attracted significant interest given its potential to transform the city’s docklands over the next decade or so.
