Planning approved for housing development on former hotel site

Cork City Council has given the green light for the site of the former Sunset Ridge Hotel to be redeveloped into 43 residential units, a medical facility and a pharmacy.

The site in the townlands of Rathpeacon and Killeens, located between the northern outskirts of Cork city and Blarney, had become an eyesore and attracted anti-social behaviour since it was ruined in a fire last year in a suspected arson. The former hotel had been a favourite haunt for local people to socialise in.

The hotel had changed ownership over the years. It had ceased to trade some years ago and was declared derelict in 2019 after Cork City officials inspected the site when the city boundaries were extended around it.

Blarney based Fine Gael Councillor Damian Boylan welcomed the news. “Killeens is a place of huge potential. It needed that dereliction removed,” he said. “It needs a few facilities to make it into a proper community.” The development will breathe new life into the area, he said. Mr Boylan consulted with Blarney Auctioneers Robert Harkin concerning the site.

“It’s going to be a beautiful place to live. You have Blarney which is within walking distance. The bus service is just outside the door. There’s a great service in the 215. It’s a lovely mix of one, two and three bedroom houses.” 

Mr Boylan enjoyed his 21st birthday party there when the Cronin family ran the hotel. “They ran a great establishment. It was the centre of a lot of occasions for people from the northside or down from Blarney, with weddings, a lot of 21st birthdays. We’re missing a place like that again.” 

On Thursday, the Council gave the go-ahead to developer Oshawott Limited, subject to 53 conditions, to demolish the former hotel building and to replace it with a two-storey commercial building including a ground floor pharmacy and a medical consulting room, with four medical consulting rooms and services on the first floor.

The plans entail the construction of 43 residential units to include four one-bed duplex apartments, 17 two-bed terrace dwellings, two two-bed semi-detached dwellings, ten three-bed end of terrace dwellings, and ten three-bed mid-terrace dwellings, in a range of heights from two to 2.5 storeys.

Provision is made for 67 car parking spaces, and the replacement of the two existing accesses with a new access and raised table.

Traffic calming measures will include a new footpath and cycle lane to the L2785 road and a reduced curve at the junction of the L2785 road with the Killeens flyover. There will be two new pedestrian crossings, a new front boundary stone wall with metal railing, and landscaping works.

The plans were received by the Council on July 7 last year, and there is a six-week period in which the decision can be appealed.