Cork City Council gives green light to apartment plans for Patrick Street

CORK City Council has given the green light to a small residential development on Patrick Street.

Conditional planning permission has been granted to Louise O'Mahony who lodged the application in September last year, for the change of use of part of the ground floor and the entire first, second and third floors on 67 Patrick Street from office and storage use to residential, namely five apartments along with alterations to rear elevation including balconies and new residential access on Patrick Street elevation.

The building, located adjacent to Spar on Patrick Street, was once a former AIB branch.

Eight conditions are attached to Cork City Council's approval of the development. 

One condition stated that each apartment "shall be occupied as a single residential unit only".

Another states that specifications, method statements and schedules of works for the external works to the existing building shall be prepared and submitted to the planning authority for their written agreement prior to the commencement of work by "an experienced registered architect who shall certify upon completion that the works have been carried out in accordance with good conservation practice".

Commenting, following the news that the application had been approved by Cork City Council, Green Party councillor Dan Boyle spoke in favour of the plans.

"It’s a creative use of city centre space and it fulfils the need of people living in the city centre again. 

"I very much welcome it," he told The Echo.

The Cork City South Central councillor said for the previous few decades there had been just one resident living on Patrick Street and welcomed the prospect of seeing more people living on Cork's main street in the future. 

"There had been one person living [on Patrick Street] on the electoral register. 

"They may still do, I’m not sure, but it has been one person for several decades so this will be the first significant increase for a long time," he said.

"My mother was actually born on Patrick Street… it was an apartment over Le Chateau.

"With my own family history, I very much welcome those flats coming into being and people living on Patrick Street again.

"It's [67 Patrick Street] a lovely building - it’s a building of character that will be put to good use," Mr Boyle continued. 

Independent Cork city councillor Kieran McCarthy also welcomed the plans.

"There is so much empty property within the city centre especially over the shops that would make great accommodation space plus also offer great prospects of urban renewal. 

"The city centre needs an overarching accommodation plan for over the shop scheme- so any investment in this regard is most welcome," he said.

While Cork City Council has granted permission to Louise O'Mahony for the change of use of the premises, the decision could still be appealed with An Bord Pleanála.

If there is no appeal against the decision, a grant of permission in accordance with the decision will be issued after the expiration of the period within which an appeal may be made to An Bord Pleanála.