Student apartments planned at site of Cork's Good Shepherd Convent

A planning application has been lodged for 274 apartments providing accommodation for nearly 1,000 students at the former Good Shepherd Convent, less than two weeks after the most recent fire on the derelict site.

Developer Bellmount Good Shepherd Ltd has applied for a 10-year permission for a large-scale residential development (LRD) at the 3.57 hectare Sunday’s Well site.

The application comprises the partial demolition of the existing buildings and the construction of eight apartment blocks ranging in height from three to five storeys.

There are a total of 957 bedspaces planned, including 140 studios. Of the 134 shared apartments, more than 50 will be eight-bed apartments, with a small number of seven-bed units and the remainder split between six-bed, five-bed and four-beds.

The plans also include a café, co-working space, security/administrative office, a retail unit, a new vehicular/pedestrian access, pedestrian crossing, footpaths, bicycle and car parking. The property is to be made available outside academic seasons for tourists and other guests.

The developers said that the management company will continuously occupy the property and there will be 24/7 security presence on site, which “will ensure minimal behavioural impact on immediate neighbours and the surrounding community”.

The former convent and Magdalene laundry has been on Cork City Council’s derelict sites register since 2019, and there have been several fires there since. The latest incident, described by gardaí as “criminal damage”, occurred earlier this month, and saw a section of the first floor collapse.

Tom Coleman, chairperson of the Blarney Street and Surrounding Areas Community Association, said the plans will be “disastrous” if approved. 

“The traffic here is ridiculous presently, the infrastructure just isn’t there for such a large scale development, and during the construction there will be heavy trucks taking materials in and out.”

However, he added: “We are glad there is some movement on this, because we’re living in a nightmare situation at the moment with the site unsupervised and all the fires.”

Another local said: “The big question is on the construction traffic. Sunday’s Well Road is barely capable of two-way traffic at the best of times so it’s hard to see how that will fit in with the traffic that is on the roads already.”

Fianna Fáil councillor Tony Fitzgerald said new life on the site was essential. “It’s important now for the owners to engage with the local community to prepare traffic plans in advance of construction and its delivery of the project. It’s important also that the sensitivities and concerns raised in relation to those who are deceased are addressed in a dignified way,” he added.