Plans submitted for student accommodation at site of former convent in Cork city

PLANS have been submitted for a new student accommodation centre on Model Farm Road at the site of a former convent.

St Joseph’s was used as a nursing home in recent years, before being put on the market in February 2022, and sold on May 3, 2022, for €2.52m.

Kieran Coughlan Managing Director of Lyonshall Ltd told The Echo that the student accommodation scheme applied for comprises not only the St Joseph’s Convent but also circa one acre of land to the rear which Lyonshall Ltd purchased from the adjoining site owners Lee Garage.

A spokesperson for the Cork City Council confirmed to The Echo that: “A Large Scale Residential Development application has been received for development at the former Saint Joseph’s Convent, Model Farm Road - the file is currently at pre-validation stage.” 

If approved, their plan would see the former St Joseph’s convent knocked and turned into purpose-built apartment blocks which would provide over 450 student beds.

The site is located under 5km from both UCC and MTU.

The developer Lyonshall said: “The proposed development will be provided in 3 apartment blocks ranging in height from 2-5 storeys including 42 apartments ranging in size from 3-6 bedrooms (226 bedspaces) and 224 studio apartments.” 

It will be served by public and communal space and student amenities, and the development will include landscaping, boundary treatments, excavation works above and below ground, lighting, bin stores, ESB substation and all ancillary works necessary to facilitate it.

Limited car parking spaces will be available on site, and there will be 234 cycle parking spaces in specialist bike sheds – plans for which are among several drawings on https://stjosephslrd.ie/.

The proposed new student accommodation will be accessed from Model Farm Road by a new vehicular/pedestrian entrance, the ground needed for which is under the ownership of Cork County Council as per the proposed floor plan.

A letter from Cork City Council to HW Planning on behalf of Lyonshall dated March 14 2023 approved the inclusion of the council-owned public footpath in the company’s plans.

“Cork City Council hereby consents to you including lands in its control and/or ownership including the works proposed in your planning application”, the letter wrote.

It added that approval this was subject to “Consideration of the said planning application by Cork City Council or on appeal by An Bord Pleanála”, and “Adherence to and compliance with all planning conditions, bonds and planning contributions that may apply to the final grant of permission.”