Go-ahead for 350 new homes at former ESB site in Cork's Wilton suburb

Conditional planning permission has been granted for a large-scale residential development (LRD), consisting of almost 350 homes, at a greenfield site in Wilton.

The application, submitted by the Land Development Agency in April, sought seven-year planning permission for the construction of a 348-unit LRD at a site of undeveloped land, adjoining the ESB DAC office at Farrandahadore More on the Sarsfield Road.

Speaking to The Echo, Sinn Féin Cork South Central TD Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire said that while he is pleased to see the injection of additional homes to the area, he is concerned that there may be a lack of infrastructure to serve the development.

“We’re in a housing crisis, so new housing coming on stream is obviously welcome,” 

said Mr Ó Laoghaire.

The site, previously owned by the ESB, was transferred to the Land Development Agency (LDA) following an agreement which was reached in August of last year.

The development will include a mix of cost-rental apartments, two-storey townhouses, and social housing apartments, alongside a 156sq m childcare facility.

Sinn Féin Cork South Central TD Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire said affordability will be a key issue “because an awful lot of the Government schemes that have come out in recent times, whether they are truly affordable or not have been questionable”.

“There has also been a fair bit of development on the Sarsfield Rd, on both ends, over the course of the last decade, and it’s now quite a large community with very little infrastructure,” he said. “There’s effectively one shop, and no playground, and while there is a childcare facility with this development, it can be difficult to deliver this.

“There are infrastructure issues in the area that need to be addressed, particularly for young people and families, and this is something that I have raised with the council in the past.”

The development will consist of 16 two-storey, three-bed townhouses and 332 apartment units comprising of 152 one-bed apartments, 168 two-bed apartments, and 12 three-bed apartments, arranged in three blocks.

The apartment blocks will range in height from five to six storeys, with parking available at ground-floor level in the central and western blocks and the childcare facility located at ground-floor level in the central block.

Green Party councillor for the Cork City South Central ward, Dan Boyle, said that the development “ticks many boxes”.

“It will provide much-needed housing in the area, in particular lower-cost and social housing, and will seek to have important social infrastructure,” 

said Mr Boyle.

Sinn Féin councillor for the Cork City South-Central ward, Fiona Kerins, said that the approval of the development is “great news”.

“This is badly needed in the area and should go some way to alleviating pressures in the area when it comes to social housing and affordable rents,” said Ms Kerins.

The development also includes plans for public and communal open spaces, as well as the provision of podium gardens.

The application, granted permission by Cork City Council on August 20, is subject to 51 conditions.

One condition stipulates that, in the interests of pedestrian safety, prior to occupation of the site, the developer shall agree in writing with the planning authority the tie-in of the cyclist provision, to enable all cyclist types exiting the development to connect to the existing cycling infrastructure located to the north and south of the ESB/Sarsfield Rd signalised junction.