HIGH-RISE developments are 'absolutely' part of Cork city's future, according to City Hall's deputy chief Pat Ledwidge.

Mr Ledwidge made the comments just weeks after a number of high-rise proposals were submitted throughout the city.

Plans have been submitted for a 15-storey tower adjacent to the bus station, with City Hall seeking further information on this development, while the prospect of a 40-storey tower on Custom House Quay also remains.

Mr Ledwidge said that such plans have been on the city's radar for some time.

"In our Development Plan, high-rise is anything over 32 metres. We have a proposal on the little site next to the bus station, which we have put out to further information. There are aspects we want to check.

"There is the larger proposal on the point of the island. We have had two formal engagements with the developers. We made our comments and they are thinking about those.

"That is the normal process for any large development. Both ourselves and the developers are trying to find the best solution."

Mr Ledwidge said there is a 'range of expertise' feeding into the development.

A 25-storey apartment skyscraper planned for Mahon will come before An Bord Pleanála in the coming months, potentially delivering more than 400 homes in a broad development in the Jacob's Island area.

The deputy chief backed the proposals, though stressed that the decision lies elsewhere.

"We had pre-consultation but we are not the decisionmaker," he said.

"There may be aspects we would like to tweak but developments like these are important. The Local Area Plan for Mahon requires an increase in the volume of residential property in the area."

Some concerns have been expressed that it would put a strain on the transport infrastructure in the area but Mr Ledwidge played this down.

"If 400 units are built, you would assume some of those work in Mahon," he said.

"We have done a lot in the area on the south-east corridor and the frequency of the 215 has improved too."

Works on the Skehard Road are progressing and a long-term plan to move buses through Bessboro and across St Michael's Drive via a landbridge would also ease issues, Mr Ledwidge added.