Green light for Cork city centre's largest residential plan

A planning application for the largest residential development plan to date in Cork city centre has been given the green light.

Leeside Quays Limited, a subsidiary of O’Callaghan Properties (OCP), in June lodged the application with Cork City Council seeking 10-year planning permission to develop 1,325 residential units, including apartments and duplexes, in 10 buildings at the Goulding’s site, Centre Park Rd and Monahan Rd, in the city.

The Large-Scale Residential Development (LRD) application proposed the demolition of the existing on-site buildings and structures and site clearance to facilitate the construction of 658 one-bed homes, 465 two-bed homes, and 202 three-bed homes.

The proposed buildings range in height from two to 14-storeys over a single basement.

There are some mixed uses proposed at ground floor level across the development including cafés/restaurants with outdoor seating areas, service retail units and a convenience retail store.

The provision of a standalone two-storey creche with associated outdoor amenity space also formed part of the planning application.

There are 51 conditions attached to Cork City Council’s approval of the development, however, the document outlining these conditions has yet to be published.

Speaking just before the planning application was formally lodged, OCP managing director Brian O’Callaghan said the project, if approved, would make “an even bigger statement on the attractiveness of Docklands as a location to work and live”.

Leeside Quays Limited was last year given the green light for two planning applications elsewhere in the South Docks.

One sought 10-year planning permission for a mixed-use development comprising four new buildings and the conversion of the long-idle Odlums building. 

The other sought 10-year planning permission for a proposed rehabilitation hospital.

Appeals had been lodged with An Bord Pleanála in relation to these two developments but in May it was announced that the appeals had been withdrawn.

“For the Docklands to succeed, we need developments to happen,” Green Party councillor Dan Boyle said, commenting following the grant of conditional planning permission for the LRD.

“The problem is that the city is awash with planning permissions that haven't been acted on.

“The hope is that once any of these permissions get acted on, there may follow a domino effect that will see the Docklands reach its potential and begin to properly address the lack of housing supply.”