THE 150 new homes planned for Boherboy Road should be earmarked for 'long-term renters' to facilitate the growth of a new community in the area.

That is the message from local councillor Tim Brosnan, who welcomed the news that An Bord Pleanála had given the go-ahead for the long-awaited Boherboy Road social housing development.

The estate is viewed as a crucial component of Cork City Council's housing strategy for the coming years and is currently the biggest single development on the local authority's books.

It includes a mix of apartments, terraced and semi-detached houses, as well as a creche and other ancillary site works.

City planners had hoped to build 153 homes on the Boherboy Road site, which is currently located in the jurisdiction of Cork County Council.

After the boundary change, this will be City Council land, however.

Plans were initially submitted in late 2016 with permission granted in September 2017.

A number of objections were raised locally, including the presence of a number of laneways which, according to concerned locals, have been the cause of antisocial behaviour in other estates nearby.

There were also questions asked about the road access and network around the estate, with concerns that through-roads could become rat-runs.

A number of revisions were made to the plans by An Bord Pleanála, with the final approved scheme now including 147 houses, six fewer than initially hoped.

The decision had initially been due in February but was postponed by the planning authority.

Mr Brosnan, a Fianna Fáil councillor in the area who was among those who raised concerns with the initial plans, welcomed the news that the scheme will now go ahead.

He said that large schemes like this are essential when it comes to tackling long social housing waiting lists and supply shortages.

"Hopefully, the people in these houses will have the option of long-term renting and maybe even buying the houses after a certain term has elapsed," he said.

"That would allow people to put down roots and grow the community instead of just having turnover."

Mr Brosnan criticised government lending schemes which are designed to encourage social housing tenants and those on waiting lists to buy houses but are subject to numerous restrictions, resulting in a low uptake.

"A lot more needs to be done as there are many people out there who are unable to buy houses in the current market," he added.