TII appeals permission for 10-storey hotel in Cork city suburb
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Transport Infrastructure Ireland has lodged an appeal against planning permission for a new 10-storey hotel outside Cork city as it claims it would “put at risk the public investment made and being made in the M8, N40 and associated junctions”.
TII said the plans for the 165-bed hotel at Jacob’s Island in Mahon, alongside separate plans for almost 500 homes on an adjacent site, represent an “intensification of development which will create a further unacceptable impact on the operation, capacity and safety of the N40” ring road around Cork.
Hibernia Star Ltd first applied to Cork City Council for permission for the hotel back in January. As well as a hotel, the development would also include a 10,632 square metre office building over seven storeys.
Separately, the same company lodged a Strategic Housing Development consultation late last year for 498 apartments in the same area. The developers said the proposed office and hotel buildings are a “direct response to the evolving nature of Mahon and the forthcoming Light Rail Transit” as envisaged in the Cork Metropolitan Area Transport Strategy.
A proposed masterplan area for the site has been developed, incorporating the planned housing development, they said.
On the hotel, they said: “On a macro scale Jacob’s Island represents the gateway to Cork City when approached from the Jack Lynch Tunnel. There are no hotels currently provided for in the Mahon area. In comparison, hotels are provided both east and west of the Dunkettle Interchange.”
Planning documents also said the hotel and office space could provide around 1,144 jobs in the future.
The council received 10 letters from neighbouring properties, where homeowners expressed concerns about inadequate infrastructure in the area, the impact of traffic and congestion arising from the development as well as ecological and environmental concerns.
In its submissions, TII cited official policy regarding planning around national roads and said the proposed development would “adversely affect the operation and safety of the national road network”.
It pointed to Government policy which states that planning authorities should take heed of applications “where such development could generate significant additional traffic with potential to impact on the national road”.
The policy said the capacity of roads and locations of interchanges are determined during the planning process for the road and that care should be taken for proposals for developments at these sites.
TII said: “The Exchequer has funded, at substantial cost, significant improvements in this area to facilitate the achievement of a range of official policy objectives.” It added that if this proposal were to go ahead it “could lead to a proliferation of such inappropriate developments which would adversely affect the operational efficiency and safety of national road network”.
The case is due to be decided by An Bord Pleanála by 3 January, 2023.