Cork city student development given green light by planning board

A LARGE scale student accommodation development in Cork city has been given the go-ahead by An Bord Pleanála, provided four apartments are removed from the plans.

It has given the green light for 21 instead of 25 apartments to be constructed on the former Kelleher’s Tyres Service Centre on Victoria Cross Road, resulting in a reduction in bed capacity from the 154 planned.

Conditional permission was previously granted for the development by Cork City Council, but one of the conditions was subsequently appealed by the developers to An Bord Pleanala.

The condition involved the omission of the top two setback floors of the proposed eight storey development.

Kevin Lynch, who’s behind the project, labelled it “disappointing” and the appeal stated: “We consider that the rationale behind the Planning Authority decision to permit the development with the omission of two setback stories was not adequately detailed.” 

The appeal stated that the visual impact assessment said that the height increase from a previously permitted scheme which would have seen 124 bed spaces, “were largely immaterial in terms of potential visual impact to nearby residential properties.” 

An Bord Pleanala’s inspector recommended permission be refused, but the board granted permission subject to 14 conditions, and said the original decision of Cork City Council’s planning department was correct.

“The Board concurred with the decision of the planning authority and was satisfied that, subject to the omission of the two set back floors, the proposed development would not seriously injure the visual or residential amenities of adjoining properties and would not lead to the intensification of adverse impact on the amenities of residential properties adjoining the site,” their order states.

The developers must now submit revised drawings to omit four apartments on the top two set back floors before the development can proceed.