Voluntary housing body gets council approval for apartment scheme in Cork
Wilton, Of Seven Apartments Social At With Proposed A Generated Unit Farranlea Two Four Housing Demolish Puter And And 12 Storey House Is Five Image Block Bed A One The Development Cork Vacant Build A Apartments, Apartment Road, Residential It To Bed
A social housing project has been approved to infill a small, derelict overgrown site in Cork’s western suburbs, despite some local concerns.
A €28m loan has also been approved to a voluntary housing body to fund the revamp of its existing units, and the construction of an extension to more than double the number of units it has on its site on the southside of the city.
The decisions were taken at Monday’s meeting of Cork City Council where councillors voted 26-1 to approve planning for the four-storey 12-unit apartment scheme on Farranlea Road. Once construction starts, it will take about 16 months to complete, councillors were told.
The site, located between Victoria Cross and Dennehy’s Cross, is sandwiched between a council depot to the west and offices to the east. It measures just 0.06 of a hectare and contains a vacant derelict house. The site has been overgrown with vegetation for some time.
Under the Part 8 plan advertised by Cork City Council, it is proposed to demolish the vacant house and build a four-storey apartment block with five one-bed apartments, and seven two-bed apartments. The only car parking will be two guest parking spaces, alongside 26 bike parking spaces.
The site is close to University College Cork (UCC), Munster Technological University (MTU), Cork University Hospital (CUH), Wilton Shopping Centre, the Lee Fields, the Mardyke and Fitzgerald’s Park.
Among the concerns raised during the public consultation were impacts on existing on-street parking, a potential increase in traffic on the already busy road between Dennehy's Cross and Victoria Cross, and the height of the proposed structure.
But a report to councillors says there is no requirement for car parking because the proposed development is on the route of two high-frequency bus services, and is very close to the city centre.
Also, the height and scale of the development complies with the city development plan which encourages higher density and increased building heights in areas near public transport hubs.
The report also said the development will improve the housing mix and increase the permanent residential population in this part of the city, which has experienced a high proportion of student accommodation developments in recent years.
At the same council meeting, councillors were told that the Department of Housing has approved a funding application from Oakdene House CLG under the Capital Assistance Scheme for just over €28m to refurbish its 44 existing units at O’Connell Court in Doughcloyne, near Togher, and the construction of a two-storey extension to provide a further 46 units, as well as additional communal facilities.