Conditional planning permission granted for new hotel in Cork city centre

CONDITIONAL planning permission has been granted for a large-scale hotel with a roof-top terrace in the city centre. 

Back in March, Carra Shore Hotel (Camden Place) Limited lodged a planning application with Cork City Council seeking permission to develop, conserve, refurbish and change the use of the former McKenzies/Circuit Courthouse, Camden Quay, Camden Place and Pine Street, Cork.

They sought permission for a 194 bed hotel, 41 of which would be long-stay suites. 

The plans involve carrying out works to a protected structure, while part of this application also sought retention permission for the demolition of the buildings to the rear of the protected structure.

Internal and external modifications were also proposed, which would see the refurbishment and change of use of the existing building, as well as the construction of a two to six-storey over ground floor annex to the rear of the protected structure.

A gym and rooftop restaurant with an outdoor terrace were also included in the proposals. 

Cork City Council later requested further information before making a decision on the application. 

While planners deemed the principle of locating a hotel on the site acceptable, they considered the initial layout of bedrooms to be "problematic".

Questions are also raised about the use of some rooms as "long-stay suites".

However, further information was provided and the design of the proposed development was reconsidered to address the council's concerns. 

The council has now given the green light to the development, subject to 26 conditions. 

One condition states that no vehicular parking is to be provided with the development and cycle parking is to be provided as per the RFI drawings submitted. 

Another stipulates that the details of the proposed works to the existing building are to be prepared by an experienced registered architect, qualified to at least RIAI conservation grade, who shall certify upon completion that the works have been carried out in accordance with good conservation practice.