Plan for NY loft-style apartments in Cork vacant building rejected
Cork, Upper Apartments Refused For Saint The Has Floors 64 St, At Permission Planning Patrick's Of Been
Plans to develop New York loft-style apartments in a landmark vacant building on Cork’s main street have been shot down, prompting calls for more flexibility in the planning system.
City planners refused a grant of planning to Majorfield Ltd for three studio apartments in the striking Saint Patrick’s Buildings, right on the corner of St Patrick's St and Grand Parade.
They said the floor space was too small and did not meet the minimum required standards for a studio apartment.
“It is considered that to apply flexibility across the board would set an undesirable precedent, would fail to provide an acceptable living environment for future residents," they said.
However, veteran Green Party councillor Dan Boyle said this case highlights the need for planners to show more flexibility, given the stated national and city policies to encourage and promote city-centre living, especially in the context of a housing crisis.
“These were one-bedroom apartments — the type for which we see most demand,” he said.
“We are going to come across this kind of planning application more and more, and we need to encourage as many such applications as we can.
“But there has to be a degree of latitude from planners. Perhaps there is a need for an amending in the new planning bill to allow that flexibility.”
Majorfield Ltd had applied for planning for alterations to the existing mixed-use building to include a change of use of part of the ground floor and the entire first, second, and third floors from office space to residential, to deliver three apartments.
Engineers and architects Brian O’Kennedy & Associates, which secured planning for apartments above the former AIB building on Saint Patrick’s St; for 14 apartments ‘over the shop’ on Bridge St; and for seven apartments under construction in the Finn’s Corner building, engaged in pre-planning consultation with Cork City Hall before preparing a detailed application.
In a report on the file, they said they understood that the minimum recommended area for studio apartments is 37m sq but the available floor space in this building was 30.75m sq on the first floor, 33.3m sq on the second floor, and 31m sq on the third floor.
However, they said it represents “an out of the ordinary opportunity to provide unique living spaces" in the city and argued that the option of a single three-storey apartment would be “a poor use of the spaces available”.
Majorfield declined to comment. The firm has 28 days from the decision in which to appeal to An Bord Pleanála.