Cork City Council gives go-ahead for 246 homes in Blarney, with more planned
Be For Said Would With Forthing Application 307 Another Homes, Clockstrike At Ltd 'pre Future Planning Phases Another Stage'
The first phase of a major housing development in Blarney has been given a green light by Cork City Council, with planners saying it could “act as an important catalyst” for the development of the wider area.
Clockstrike Ltd lodged the plans for an initial 246 homes at the site in Ringwood east of Blarney town centre in June, following pre-planning consultations with City Hall. The subsequent approval earlier this month comes despite numerous submissions from local residents concerned about the proposals.
Coakley O’Neill, on behalf of Clockstrike, compiled a planning statement setting out the proposals and the rationale behind them. It includes 101 apartments — a mix of one- and two-bed units across four-storeys — along with 30 duplex homes and 115 houses.
It said that, in these pre-planning meetings, almost 1,000 residential homes were discussed but it was considered to submit plans for these homes on a phased basis.
Following this planning bid, it said another application would be forthcoming for another 307 homes, with future phases at “pre-planning stage”.
“The need for the proposed development is justified on the basis of the urgent requirement for new residential dwellings on appropriately zoned and serviced sites within Cork City and the wider Cork Metropolitan Area,” it said, adding it was on serviceable lands with access to existing and planned public transport.
“Having regard to the Development Plan objectives for Blarney and the pattern of development in the local area, it is considered that the proposed residential development represents a high-quality development at an appropriate density that will act as an important catalyst, in due course, for the development of the wider Blarney area.”
A Cork City Council inspector summarised the submissions received by locals in their report on the proposals. These ranged from flooding risks, the density and layout of the proposals, traffic, and the impact on the wider area.
“Blarney area has a lack of various sporting facilities, for example no tennis courts or basketball courts open to the public, no swimming pool and lack of playing pitches etc. Hundreds of extra residents with no new sporting areas — where will they play their sports?” was one example cited.
Furthermore, residents said they would lose privacy and natural light to the height of the proposed apartments while others raised fears about the impact on local ecology. However, Cork City Council decided to grant planning permission for the development, with 61 conditions attached.
Earlier this year, the reported on plans for a new 2,500-unit development on lands at Ringwood between the commuter town, the N20 and a planned new commuter railway station.
The overall scheme, likely to proceed over a 10-year time span and in phases, may have a value of up to €1bn when complete. It includes lands at Stoneview on the other side of the N40.
Combined, the Ringwood lands owned by the Forrest family, and Stoneview, come to 255 acres and the plans for more than 2,500 new homes on the combined site over the coming years makes it one of the largest planning applications to come before Cork City Council in recent times.