Plan for more than 100 homes near Collins Barracks gets go-ahead

A plan for more than 100 new homes close to Cork's Collins Barracks has received planning approval.

Cork City Council has granted permission to Pontorac Ltd for a large-scale residential development (LRD) at Pope's Hill on Pope's Road in Blackpool.

The 2.58ha site lies about 400m east of Blackpool village, between the Glentrasna estate to the north and Collins Barracks to the east, with the military cemetery on its northwest side.

As lodged in April, the scheme comprises 103 homes of two to four storeys made up of 50 townhouses and 53 duplex apartments, with a mix of 18 one-beds, nine two-beds, 68 three-beds and eight four-beds. 

It also includes a crèche for 38 children, 104 car parking spaces and 128 cycle spaces, and two pedestrian links to Glentrasna Park. A terrace of four existing houses, three of them derelict, will be demolished and replaced with a single bungalow for the site's owner and occupant.

The site rises by about 28m from its northwest corner to its southeast corner. 

Split-level buildings

The design uses split-level buildings and terraced gardens to handle the slope, and it is laid out in three character areas: a formal square facing the military cemetery, a central village green, and a grid of avenues referencing the site's military neighbours.

According to the planning statement, 21 units will go to the council under the Part V social housing scheme. It also says a housing association will be responsible for delivering and managing the entire development.

The City Council recently granted planning permission for the development, attaching 42 conditions. 

These include the omission of two units in Block F, which reduces the scheme to 101 new homes. 

The Glentrasna pedestrian access must be opened before several blocks are occupied, and the crèche must be completed before occupation of Blocks H to K. 

The developer must also fund watermain upgrades on Pope's Road and Rathmore Road. 

Under an agreement, all units will be restricted to first occupation by individual buyers or by those eligible for social, affordable or cost-rental housing.

The scheme was scaled back from 110 units at the pre-planning stage. Part of the site previously secured permission for 29 houses in 2019, after an earlier proposal for 27 houses was refused in 2018.