An Coimisiún Pleanála gives green light for 220-bed hotel in Cork city 

Plans for a 220-bedroom hotel providing budget accommodation in Cork city centre have been given the green light by An Coimisiún Pleanála.

The commission has granted planning permission for the proposed five-storey hotel with ground-floor café on a vacant site on Fitton St East by development firm Peppard Investments 8 Limited.

Eoghan Murphy, chairman of the Cork branch of the Irish Hotels Federation (IHF), told The Echo it is a positive development for Cork and a significant vote of confidence in the hospitality sector and the market here.

“As well as bringing another wonderful hotel to the city for visitors, it’s a considerable investment in terms of jobs, it will create a huge boost for Cork,” he said.

Although Cork City Council had granted planning permission for the hotel last May, it had directed that the developer should reduce the height of the building by one storey.

Peppard Investments 8 Limited appealed the condition imposing the reduced height.

Ruling

In its ruling, the appeals board said it would direct Cork City Council to amend the condition relating to the height of the building.

The commission said the proposed five-storey development would not have a significant impact on the visual amenities of the South Channel Architectural Conservation Area outside of the immediate views of the area.

Given the wider regeneration and activation that would be achieved with the development of the hotel, they said any visual impact it would create would be “moderate” and not out of keeping with the surrounding area.

Council planners had claimed that a five-storey building would be “visually incongruous” in relation to the local streetscape.

The developer had claimed a five-storey building was the only financially viable option for developing a hotel on the site. They deemed as unjustified the condition requiring the omission of one floor, which would have resulted in the number of bedrooms being reduced by 32 to 188.

Inspector

The developer claimed there was a lack of budget-friendly accommodation for tourists in Cork city.

A planning inspector with An Coimisiún Pleanála said the hotel would be adequately set back from protected structures in the area, including the Holy Trinity Church on Fr Matthew Quay.

The inspector also concluded the development was on a site ideally suited for regeneration and would not detract from key views across the River Lee.

The hotel will be located on Morrisons Island, an area that has previously been subject to flooding.

Work is ongoing on the Morrison’s Island Public Realm Improvement and Flood Protection Scheme, which is being advanced by Cork City Council in association with the Office of Public Works and provides for renewal of the public realm and enhanced flood protection measures to benefit 400 properties.

Cork City Council confirmed last week: “Construction works commenced in summer 2024 and are presently ongoing. It is anticipated that the works will be completed by Q4, 2026.”