Plans afoot for large residential development at former CMP site in Cork

Plans are in the pipeline for the construction of over 700 apartments at the former CMP dairy site on the Kinsale Road.

Watfore Ltd, the property management and development company of the site owners Dairygold, is at the pre-application consultation stage for its strategic housing development (SHD) proposal.

The plans could see 706 apartments and a childcare facility developed on the key location at the corner of Kinsale Road and the Tramore Road.

Whether the plans can proceed to the formal SHD planning application stage is due to be decided by October 10.

The proposed development is at the pre-application consultation stage — a necessary step for those who wish to apply for planning permission from An Bord Pleanála for an SHD.

Discussions between the developer and the planning board often result in some changes being made to the original plans.

The updated plans can then be submitted under the fast-track SHD scheme.

The CMP site closed in 2006 and all buildings were subsequently cleared.

Since then the site has remained largely idle, although it has been used occasionally to host a temporary funfair.

The latest plans for the site follows the withdrawal around four years ago by Dairygold of its proposal to redevelop the site with the construction of a large retail warehouse and showroom and café/restaurant as well as a primary healthcare centre and pharmacy.

The site was rezoned from “light industry and related uses” to “residential, local services and institutional uses” by Cork City Council in 2019.