Plans lodged for 550 homes in Dunkettle, Glanmire

Plans for a large-scale residential development (LRD) at Dunkettle, Glanmire, consisting of more than 500 homes, have been lodged with Cork City Council.

The application, submitted by O’Flynn Construction, proposes the development of 550 homes at a site to the north of Dunkettle House, as part of phase one of a larger project, which aims to see a major 1,036 home development at the site.

According to documents submitted alongside the application, phase one of the LRD will see the construction of a mix of residential units, including 394 two-, three- and four-bed semi-detached and townhouse/terraced units, and 156 apartment/duplex units, comprising of a mix of one and two bed units in 10 blocks, ranging in height from two to six storeys.

The plans also seek to construct a 144-place creche on-site, alongside three commercial units, comprising of a shop, a cafe, and a GP medical facility.

A potential future phase two of the LRD could seek to construct a further 486 homes, consisting of a mix of semi-detached and terraced houses, duplex, and apartment units.

Speaking to The Echo, Labour Party councillor, John Maher, who is contesting the general election, said that while the development is welcomed, the Glanmire area lacks the infrastructure needed to facilitate further residential expansion.

“I would be cautious about them [the plans], I think that the infrastructure needs in Glanmire are massive,” he said.

“We have no community centre, we don’t have the elective hospital built yet, and we don’t have a primary care centre, so I believe that that infrastructure needs to go in before any major housing development.

“It’s welcome, but the infrastructure needs to match the rate of development — we’re just creating tomorrow’s problems when we’re not matching the infrastructure with the housing.

“Public transport is also non-existent, the 214 is not serving the people of Glanmire, yet now we’re putting more people down there when the success of government has been lacking for the area.

“There just needs to be a ‘wake up’ when we’re building, we’re way behind on infrastructure and that needs to be addressed.”

In the proposed plans, vehicular access to the LRD will be via a new priority junction to the east of the site off the L2998 Dunkettle Rd, with dedicated cycle and pedestrian facilities to join with the existing cycle and pedestrian paths on the road. Additionally, a new greenway is also proposed at the site, which will run through the LRD, connecting to the L2998 to the north, and to the existing Dunkettle to Carrigtwohill Greenway to the south.

Fianna Fáil TD, Padraig O’Sullivan, who is also contesting the general election said: “Housing is welcome, but we need to make sure there is appropriate infrastructure, roads, and amenities for people in the area.

“We’ve had quite a significant development in Ballinglanna already, which is great, but a lot of the ancillary services that are connected to Ballinglanna are yet to be delivered.

“There were talks of a childcare facility going down there that hasn’t been delivered, the new roads haven’t been connected yet and people are worried about the connectivity in terms of buses as well, so those are the things I would be pointing at in terms of the new application.

“We want as many houses as we can get, there is a housing emergency, but we just need to make sure that those ancillary services are delivered — and I would suggest delivered early in the development rather than an add-on.”

Cork City Council is due to make a decision on the application by January 21.