Go ahead for hotel and office development in city centre

A fresh application for a major development in the heart of the city has been given the green light by Cork City Council.

Quakeside Ltd submitted a planning application for the construction of a four to six-storey development which would incorporate office and hotel use at the former Moore’s Hotel site on Morrison’s Quay, as well as the conservation of a number of protected structures to accommodate office buildings earlier this year.

It was initially granted by City Hall’s planning department but was subsequently appealed to An Bord Pleanála. The developer then withdrew the application and submitted a new one to Cork City Council in July.

Quakeside Ltd has now been granted conditional permission for the latest development, which incorporates numbers 9 to 14 Morrison’s Quay, 5 to 5A Fitton St, 1 Keeffe St, and adjoining lands backing onto Catherine St and Keeffe St.

The development will see the existing buildings at 11, 12, and 13 conserved, modified, and protected, as they are deemed protected structures with varied 19th-century facades. These will accommodate three, new, own-door office buildings. What was proposed to be a four to six-storey hotel development with 183 bedrooms has now shifted to a four to five-storey development with 187 rooms.

Just the ground floor of the new building fronting onto Catherine St will be an office development, with hotel rooms above. In the previous application, it was proposed that the first and second floors would also incorporate office space.

In October last year, it was announced that Premier Inn would occupy the hotel section of the development. There will be pedestrian access to the offices from Morrison’s Quay and Catherine St and to the hotel from Morrisons Quay and Keeffe St.

Among the 32 planning conditions set out by the council are noise limitations, instructions to not impact wildlife in the area, and instructions to recycle construction waste. Quakeside Ltd has also been told it must retain the services of an archaeologist at their own expense to ensure continued preservation of features of archaeological significance.

Prior to construction, a construction traffic management plan must be agreed between the developers, Cork City Council, and the gardaí. The developers have been instructed that the development must include 30 bicycle parking spaces but no car park spaces.

They have also been told to plant native pollinator friendly plants where feasible.

Also among the conditions is a payment of €180,000 to comply with the supplementary development scheme, in relation to the Cork suburban rail project. The developers have also been requested to ensure flood barriers are in order.