Proposal to build over 100 homes in Cork City rejected
Which North Structure House Located The Site Lotabeg Is Protected Is A Of Just
An Bord Pleanála has refused planning permission for a proposal to build over 100 new houses on the northside of Cork City because the site is zoned an area of “high landscape value” which does not allow for residential development.
The board upheld the decision of Cork City Council to reject plans by developer, Rebel Abú, for the construction of 91 houses and 10 duplex units as well as 352 car park spaces on a 3.8-hectare site at Lotabeg, Tivoli.
It rejected an appeal by the developer on the basis that the proposed development was on lands zoned for “landscape preservation” and part of the city’s hinterland.
The site is located just north of Lotabeg House which is a protected structure.
The board said the Cork City Development Plan seeks to preserve and enhance the special landscape and visual character of the area, as well as protecting and enhancing its biodiversity.
It added: “To that end, residential development is neither permitted in principle nor open for consideration on the subject site.”
It pointed out that the houses would have been built on a steeply sloping site with wide visibility on a site zoned for protecting the landscape’s value.
The council received several objections to the proposed development including one from the Mayfield East Community Association.
The objectors raised concerns about the impact of traffic, the lack of suitable infrastructure in the area as well as the environmental impact of the development.
Consultants for Rebel Abú, a Macroom-based property investment firm, claimed the site was located next to an existing high-frequency public transport system.
In the company’s appeal, it pointed out that the dominant established use in the surrounding area was residential housing.
It claimed housing on the site could be considered acceptable if it would not have a detrimental impact on the zoning objective.
“Given the location of the application site, the development does not have any significant impact on the surrounding environment,” they argued.
Rebel Abú also maintained that situations could arise where the proper planning and sustainable development of an area might be best served by a development that contravened the council’s development plan.
The company called for its proposal to be assessed “on its own merits".
At the same time, it claimed its project did not represent a material contravention of the Cork City Development Plan.
While the developer acknowledged that the site was located in a visually important zone, it claimed there was still potential for development in the area.
Rebel Abú said it had taken considerable care to design the development so that it would not be duly obtrusive and would protect the character of the landscape.
A third-party submission by local residents noted that the council’s development plan identifies where housing should be concentrated in Cork City for sustainability and it does not include the Lotabeg site.
They claimed the zoning was sufficient reason on its own to refuse planning permission as it excluded any form of housing on the site.
An inspector with An Bord Pleanála said the site was a buffer zone under the development plan to create a clear distinction between housing and agricultural uses.
Any housing on the site would represent a material contravention of the development plan, the inspector added.