Plans for almost 200 apartments at prominent site in Mahon approved following appeal

Plans for almost 200 apartments on a site adjacent to Telus International, formerly Voxpro, in Mahon have been green lit by An Bord Pleanála following an appeal.

In May of 2021 Clyde Real Estate Cork Limited lodged an application with Cork City Council seeking permission to demolish an existing geodesic dome at the site to develop 204 apartments across three blocks.

The application also sought permission for the construction of a crèche facility, communal amenity rooms, outdoor amenity spaces, car parking and indoor bicycle parking spaces.

Cork City Council submitted a request for further information before making a decision on the application, which resulted in some changes to the plans.

Among them was a reduction in the number of apartments from 204 to 196 across two blocks rather than three.

The local authority granted planning permission with 36 conditions attached, however, a third party appeal was later lodged with An Bord Pleanála.

Appeal

The appeal was lodged by Telus International Ireland who outlined several reasons for appealing the council’s decision.

The company argued that the development “would have a negative impact on the existing traffic congestion problems in the immediate vicinity and on the area in general”.

A reduction of access points onto Loughmahon Link Rd for Telus was also among the reasons mentioned.

The appeal concluded by requesting that, if the proposed development was to go ahead, “existing fire safety measures, services, and access to and from the building should not be diminished and that suitable conditions should be attached to the permission stipulating same”.

In response to the appeal, the applicants said that Clyde Real Estate are the original owners of the site, including the site where Telus is now located.

In 2017, it sold the building Telus operates out of, but retained ownership of the adjacent site “with the intention of developing same”.

“Telus, as a tenant… have no rights to infrastructure on the subject site including the access areas,” the response said.

“Creating an issue out of access for a second staff car parking access (when there is already a staff car parking access) is considered to be extremely short sighted,” it later continued.

Clyde said it has demonstrated to Telus that there is sufficient space between the Telus building and the boundary between the respective sites for fire tender access and has given assurances around an existing fire hydrant.

Board's ruling 

An Bord Pleanála, in approving the development, said it considered that - subject to compliance with planning conditions - the proposed development would be acceptable as it would “respect the existing character of the area” and “would not seriously injure the residential or visual amenities of the area”.

It said it would be “acceptable in terms of urban design, height and quantum of development, and would be acceptable in terms of traffic and pedestrian safety and convenience”.

There are 28 conditions attached to the board’s approval of the development – including one which requires an amendment to floor plans which will result in a further reduction in the number of units in the overall development from 196 to 190.

The total car parking supply must not exceed 74 car parking spaces for the full development and a minimum of 442 bicycle parking spaces must also be provided, another condition states.