PLANS for a "local retail centre" in Cork’s western suburbs have been shot down after councillors voted unanimously against rezoning.
All 27 councillors who attended Monday night’s council meeting voted against the recommendation of planners to rezone the site off the Melbourne Road to facilitate the development.
The project at a site near the Rossbrook estate and the former Tennis Village faced opposition from RGDATA and local business owners.
Several local shop owners at the meeting applauded after the vote.
The issue came before councillors after planners assessed a planning application by Melbourne Management, associated with developers Michael and John O’Flynn, to change uses of eight business, enterprise and light industrial units at the former Melbourne Business Centre, to provide a 4,500 square-foot local retail centre, with off-licence and four other shops.
It is understood that TescoExpress was lined up as the intended anchor for the larger unit of the proposed retail centre.
The project was aimed at serving the large CIT student catchment in the area and its extensive purpose-built student accommodation.
Read the article @ The Irish Examiner
www.buckplanning.ie
Showing posts with label cork planning and development. Show all posts
Showing posts with label cork planning and development. Show all posts
Tuesday, 6 December 2011
Wednesday, 9 November 2011
Any salvation for Cork church?
With a renewed interest in the English Market next door, the possible linking of the church with the market is being explored
IF A building like Princes Street Church was in a city such as Boston, it’s unlikely it would be hidden behind locked gates with paint peeling off its walls. Few other tourist cities would choose to conceal stunning early 18th-century windows behind an unsightly false partition, or hide entirely a semi-circular 300-year-old-gallery with original staircase, which until recently was visited only by flocks of pigeons. But such is our sometimes cavalier attitude towards heritage in Ireland, that Princes Street Church, probably one of the most historically important religious buildings in Cork city, remains in a poor state of repair with time running out for a long-term solution to its problems.
Ask most Cork people where the city’s sole Unitarian church is located and many would struggle to tell you. The church, located beside the Princes Street entrance to the English Market, is one of the oldest religious buildings still serving its original purpose.
The church was completed in 1717, as the Unitarian congregation in the city outgrew its original premises near South Main Street. It became known as the “New Meeting House” and was one of the first buildings to be built on reclaimed marsh to the east of the medieval walls of Cork. At the time it would have stood out architecturally until the city’s expansion caught up with it.
It is older than the newly revamped Triskel Christchurch, and took around five years to construct, as hard rock and rubble had to be brought into the area to secure the foundations and reclaim the land.
“It was one of the first buildings built outside the old medieval city walls,” says Cork Unitarian Fritz Spengeman, who has offered to show me around. “In the 1690s the old medieval walls were breached during the Williamite wars and after the destruction of large portions of those city walls, people began to build to the east and to the west. This was one of the first buildings along the eastern marsh.”
Originally the pulpit was on the west wall facing east and a pillar, door and gate stood perfectly in line from there to the street outside. Now, the interior is in a poor state, with parts of the gallery panelling missing, and a 1970s portioned ceiling giving the main hall a somewhat suppressed feeling. Dividing interior walls were installed 100 years ago, as the congregation got smaller and the gallery and adjoining wings were no longer needed.
The stairs leading to the gallery is in poor repair and hidden behind a material partition. At the top though is surely one of the most authentic early 18th-century rooms left in Cork city, with huge exposed beams detailing robust Cork craftsmanship. In one corner two chairs are kept amid piles of dusty boxes and Christmas decorations. These two ornate chairs are thought to have come from the previous Unitarian church, which would mean they were made sometime in the 1600s.
Downstairs, there is no pulpit anymore as the ornate original was removed at some point in the past 30 years. Where it went or who took it are unclear. Yet, despite the obvious need for refurbishment, the building is utterly historic and charming. Windows are of an unusual oval shape and the back door leads directly onto the back wall of the English Market. Outside, where the clink of cutlery on plates from the Farmgate restaurant can be heard, is a four-foot high wall in one corner. This, I’m told, was a public toilet circa 1700. The exterior of the building to one side contains the original rubble wall construction.
Fritz Spengeman, and 20 members of the Unitarian church left in Cork, are now hoping to finally put in place a financial master plan for the complete refurbishment of the church. But the building has been at a crossroads before.
Inside the main hall, a report from a Cork newspaper in 1958 hangs on one wall. It has a picture of the inside of the church with the headline stating “Church to be a supermarket”. Mrs Marjory Thompson of Blackrock Road is pictured sitting in the pews, and described as the only remaining Unitarian left in the city at that time. The paper reported that a grocery chain which was planning to convert it into a supermarket had bought the church. Thankfully, the plan never went ahead as the building was listed.
Once Mrs Thompson left the city, the building saw little Unitarian activity until the 1990s, when a small group, including Fritz Spengeman, resumed weekly services. To earn its keep, from time to time the building is let out to local groups, and used for a variety of events, from experimental rock concerts to craft fairs. Some essential works have been carried out through the assistance of Cork City Council, Cork City Planning Office and the Heritage Council. The pigeons have been evicted and much of the rising damp in the walls has been treated.
With renewed interest in the English Market next door, following the recent visit of Queen Elizabeth II, a link-up between the church and the market is one of the possibilities being explored.
“We have a small congregation here. Since 2003 we have spent about €330,000 on this place and have done a lot of work,” explains Fritz. “Many of the windows were broken and we had serious damp problems. We have a place secure to the elements now.”
Members of the Unitarian church are in talks with Cork City Council and hope that a plan can be arrived at before Christmas. As yet, no wealthy benefactor has come forward to foot the bill; the final cost of complete restoration is likely to be seven figures. But, if nothing is done, a link back to Cork city at the start of its development is in danger of being lost.
Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
IF A building like Princes Street Church was in a city such as Boston, it’s unlikely it would be hidden behind locked gates with paint peeling off its walls. Few other tourist cities would choose to conceal stunning early 18th-century windows behind an unsightly false partition, or hide entirely a semi-circular 300-year-old-gallery with original staircase, which until recently was visited only by flocks of pigeons. But such is our sometimes cavalier attitude towards heritage in Ireland, that Princes Street Church, probably one of the most historically important religious buildings in Cork city, remains in a poor state of repair with time running out for a long-term solution to its problems.
Ask most Cork people where the city’s sole Unitarian church is located and many would struggle to tell you. The church, located beside the Princes Street entrance to the English Market, is one of the oldest religious buildings still serving its original purpose.
The church was completed in 1717, as the Unitarian congregation in the city outgrew its original premises near South Main Street. It became known as the “New Meeting House” and was one of the first buildings to be built on reclaimed marsh to the east of the medieval walls of Cork. At the time it would have stood out architecturally until the city’s expansion caught up with it.
It is older than the newly revamped Triskel Christchurch, and took around five years to construct, as hard rock and rubble had to be brought into the area to secure the foundations and reclaim the land.
“It was one of the first buildings built outside the old medieval city walls,” says Cork Unitarian Fritz Spengeman, who has offered to show me around. “In the 1690s the old medieval walls were breached during the Williamite wars and after the destruction of large portions of those city walls, people began to build to the east and to the west. This was one of the first buildings along the eastern marsh.”
Originally the pulpit was on the west wall facing east and a pillar, door and gate stood perfectly in line from there to the street outside. Now, the interior is in a poor state, with parts of the gallery panelling missing, and a 1970s portioned ceiling giving the main hall a somewhat suppressed feeling. Dividing interior walls were installed 100 years ago, as the congregation got smaller and the gallery and adjoining wings were no longer needed.
The stairs leading to the gallery is in poor repair and hidden behind a material partition. At the top though is surely one of the most authentic early 18th-century rooms left in Cork city, with huge exposed beams detailing robust Cork craftsmanship. In one corner two chairs are kept amid piles of dusty boxes and Christmas decorations. These two ornate chairs are thought to have come from the previous Unitarian church, which would mean they were made sometime in the 1600s.
Downstairs, there is no pulpit anymore as the ornate original was removed at some point in the past 30 years. Where it went or who took it are unclear. Yet, despite the obvious need for refurbishment, the building is utterly historic and charming. Windows are of an unusual oval shape and the back door leads directly onto the back wall of the English Market. Outside, where the clink of cutlery on plates from the Farmgate restaurant can be heard, is a four-foot high wall in one corner. This, I’m told, was a public toilet circa 1700. The exterior of the building to one side contains the original rubble wall construction.
Fritz Spengeman, and 20 members of the Unitarian church left in Cork, are now hoping to finally put in place a financial master plan for the complete refurbishment of the church. But the building has been at a crossroads before.
Inside the main hall, a report from a Cork newspaper in 1958 hangs on one wall. It has a picture of the inside of the church with the headline stating “Church to be a supermarket”. Mrs Marjory Thompson of Blackrock Road is pictured sitting in the pews, and described as the only remaining Unitarian left in the city at that time. The paper reported that a grocery chain which was planning to convert it into a supermarket had bought the church. Thankfully, the plan never went ahead as the building was listed.
Once Mrs Thompson left the city, the building saw little Unitarian activity until the 1990s, when a small group, including Fritz Spengeman, resumed weekly services. To earn its keep, from time to time the building is let out to local groups, and used for a variety of events, from experimental rock concerts to craft fairs. Some essential works have been carried out through the assistance of Cork City Council, Cork City Planning Office and the Heritage Council. The pigeons have been evicted and much of the rising damp in the walls has been treated.
With renewed interest in the English Market next door, following the recent visit of Queen Elizabeth II, a link-up between the church and the market is one of the possibilities being explored.
“We have a small congregation here. Since 2003 we have spent about €330,000 on this place and have done a lot of work,” explains Fritz. “Many of the windows were broken and we had serious damp problems. We have a place secure to the elements now.”
Members of the Unitarian church are in talks with Cork City Council and hope that a plan can be arrived at before Christmas. As yet, no wealthy benefactor has come forward to foot the bill; the final cost of complete restoration is likely to be seven figures. But, if nothing is done, a link back to Cork city at the start of its development is in danger of being lost.
Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Sunday, 20 June 2010
Port of Cork selects site for container terminal
THE PORT of Cork yesterday announced that it had selected a site at Ringaskiddy in Cork harbour as the most suitable location for the development of its container traffic business
This followed a review of its long-term development plan.
According to Port of Cork chairman Dermot O’Mahoney a site adjacent to the existing ferry terminal at Ringaskiddy and already owned by the port was deemed the most suitable location for container traffic business, which is currently based at Tivoli further up Cork harbour.
The identification of the Ringaskiddy site comes on foot of a review of the port’s strategic development plan after An Bord Pleanála refused permission to the Port of Cork for the development of a container traffic terminal at another part of Ringaskiddy.
The Port of Cork had applied to the board under the Strategic Infrastructure Act for permission to develop the new terminal on a 37-hectare site at Oysterbank in Ringaskiddy in the lower harbour to replace the existing Tivoli terminal
However, following a 15-day-long oral hearing, the board ruled against the proposal in June 2008, arguing that the Ringaskiddy site was not adequately served by a road network capable of taking the extra traffic that would be generated by the container traffic business.
It was unclear yesterday how the Port of Cork proposed to address the issue of the road network in its latest proposal, which also involves the location of bulk operations at the deep-water berth in Ringaskiddy.
The review also recommended the development of a bulk and general cargo site at the former IFI plant at Marino Point near Cobh on the other side of the harbour and pointed out that if acquired, the Marino Point site also had the potential to accommodate bulk liquids trade.
Mr O’Mahoney said that the review had involved consultation with stakeholders around Cork harbour and it took account of tourism, environmental, infrastructural and leisure and amenity concerns before reaching its recommendations.
A total of 13 potential port sites around Cork harbour had been identified but this was narrowed down to a shortlist of five, from which the locations at Ringaskiddy ferry terminal, the deep water berth and the Marino Point site had been identified for different cargo types.
Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
This followed a review of its long-term development plan.
According to Port of Cork chairman Dermot O’Mahoney a site adjacent to the existing ferry terminal at Ringaskiddy and already owned by the port was deemed the most suitable location for container traffic business, which is currently based at Tivoli further up Cork harbour.
The identification of the Ringaskiddy site comes on foot of a review of the port’s strategic development plan after An Bord Pleanála refused permission to the Port of Cork for the development of a container traffic terminal at another part of Ringaskiddy.
The Port of Cork had applied to the board under the Strategic Infrastructure Act for permission to develop the new terminal on a 37-hectare site at Oysterbank in Ringaskiddy in the lower harbour to replace the existing Tivoli terminal
However, following a 15-day-long oral hearing, the board ruled against the proposal in June 2008, arguing that the Ringaskiddy site was not adequately served by a road network capable of taking the extra traffic that would be generated by the container traffic business.
It was unclear yesterday how the Port of Cork proposed to address the issue of the road network in its latest proposal, which also involves the location of bulk operations at the deep-water berth in Ringaskiddy.
The review also recommended the development of a bulk and general cargo site at the former IFI plant at Marino Point near Cobh on the other side of the harbour and pointed out that if acquired, the Marino Point site also had the potential to accommodate bulk liquids trade.
Mr O’Mahoney said that the review had involved consultation with stakeholders around Cork harbour and it took account of tourism, environmental, infrastructural and leisure and amenity concerns before reaching its recommendations.
A total of 13 potential port sites around Cork harbour had been identified but this was narrowed down to a shortlist of five, from which the locations at Ringaskiddy ferry terminal, the deep water berth and the Marino Point site had been identified for different cargo types.
Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Sunday, 30 May 2010
€60m retail park in Cork gets go-ahead
The site of a former textile factory on Cork’s north side is to be transformed into a €60 million commercial retail park that developers hope will create up to 3,000 new jobs, writes Louise Roseingrave.
The 4.5 acre site in Blackpool housed the former Sunbeam textile factory which was a major employer until it burned down in 2003.
After five-and-a-half years in the planning process, An Bord Pleanála cleared the way for what developers Rothbury Estates describe as a “transformational project” for the north side of the city to construct 430,000 sq ft of enterprise, office and retail warehousing space. The company aims to begin the two year build project by the end of 2010.
Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
The 4.5 acre site in Blackpool housed the former Sunbeam textile factory which was a major employer until it burned down in 2003.
After five-and-a-half years in the planning process, An Bord Pleanála cleared the way for what developers Rothbury Estates describe as a “transformational project” for the north side of the city to construct 430,000 sq ft of enterprise, office and retail warehousing space. The company aims to begin the two year build project by the end of 2010.
Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Thursday, 17 December 2009
O'Callaghan to push ahead with hospital plans
PROPERTY DEVELOPER Owen O’Callaghan is to resubmit revised plans for an €80 million 94-bed private hospital in Cork after An Bord Pleanála yesterday refused permission for the original proposal.
O’Callaghan Properties had been granted planning permission by Cork City Council last July for the new hospital on Lancaster Quay near the new Jury’s Hotel on the city’s Western Road but it was appealed to An Bord Pleanála which refused permission.
An Bord Pleanála has yet to disclose details of its refusal but, according to a spokesman for O’Callaghan Properties, the refusal relates to the building’s design and resulted from a five-four vote by the board which chose to overrule its own inspector who favoured the project.
“We are encouraged at the direction of An Bord Pleanála in that it says that a change of use on site to hospital use is acceptable to it,” said the O’Callaghan Properties spokesman.
“The board has an issue with the design of the project and that is something we will address with a view to submitting a fresh application to the local authority by mid-January. On that basis and bearing in mind the board’s advisement, we would hope to be in a position to commence construction of the hospital in June/July 2010.”
According to the spokesman, the hospital was a project “that could have started in April and would have created 350 construction jobs and 300 permanent jobs, so in the current economic climate particularly, that is very regrettable”.
The six-storey hospital, located on a two-acre portion of the Jury’s site, would have included six operating theatres, 20 consulting suites, surgical day beds and recovery beds, intensive care, an oncology ward, physiotherapy facilities and a cafeteria.
O’Callaghan Properties had already confirmed that it had agreed a deal with healthcare operators, La Tour of Switzerland, and the Health Partnership to run the new hospital.
The company had originally planned to develop the site for 100 apartments but dropped that plan in favour of the hospital proposal having already built some 175 apartments and a new Jury’s Hotel on the site.
Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
O’Callaghan Properties had been granted planning permission by Cork City Council last July for the new hospital on Lancaster Quay near the new Jury’s Hotel on the city’s Western Road but it was appealed to An Bord Pleanála which refused permission.
An Bord Pleanála has yet to disclose details of its refusal but, according to a spokesman for O’Callaghan Properties, the refusal relates to the building’s design and resulted from a five-four vote by the board which chose to overrule its own inspector who favoured the project.
“We are encouraged at the direction of An Bord Pleanála in that it says that a change of use on site to hospital use is acceptable to it,” said the O’Callaghan Properties spokesman.
“The board has an issue with the design of the project and that is something we will address with a view to submitting a fresh application to the local authority by mid-January. On that basis and bearing in mind the board’s advisement, we would hope to be in a position to commence construction of the hospital in June/July 2010.”
According to the spokesman, the hospital was a project “that could have started in April and would have created 350 construction jobs and 300 permanent jobs, so in the current economic climate particularly, that is very regrettable”.
The six-storey hospital, located on a two-acre portion of the Jury’s site, would have included six operating theatres, 20 consulting suites, surgical day beds and recovery beds, intensive care, an oncology ward, physiotherapy facilities and a cafeteria.
O’Callaghan Properties had already confirmed that it had agreed a deal with healthcare operators, La Tour of Switzerland, and the Health Partnership to run the new hospital.
The company had originally planned to develop the site for 100 apartments but dropped that plan in favour of the hospital proposal having already built some 175 apartments and a new Jury’s Hotel on the site.
Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Tuesday, 15 December 2009
€80 million 100-bed private Cork hospital plan rejected
However, O’Callaghan Properties (OCP) vowed last night to address the design concerns raised by An Bord Pleanála about its Western Road project and submit a new planning application within weeks.
The company said they were obviously extremely disappointed at the ruling, particularly as the inspector favoured permission and the ruling was a marginal five to four against.
"It was a project that could have started in April and would have created 350 construction jobs and 300 permanent jobs, so in the current economic climate particularly that is very regrettable," a spokesperson said.
However, the spokesman said the company is encouraged by the board’s view that a change of use on-site to hospital use is acceptable.
He said the company will address concerns around the design with a view to submitting a fresh application to Cork City Council by mid-January.
"On that basis and bearing in mind the board’s advisement, we would hope to be in a position to commence construction... in June/July 2010," he added.
The city council granted permission to OCP earlier this year, with 19 conditions, to build the 100-bed private hospital on a two-acre site on Lancaster Quay, Western Road, close to where the company developed Jurys Hotel and the apartments.
At 140,000sq ft, the proposed hospital will include six operating theatres and 20 consulting suites. It is expected to employ up to 300 healthcare professionals once fully operational.
It will be run by leading Swiss-based private hospital operator La Tour Réseau de Soins.
However, a shop steward in the Mercy University Hospital was one of two men who lodged objections with An Bord Pleanála against the project.
Graham O’Reilly, from Mayfield, raised several concerns, and argued the hospital was contrary to the zoning of the Lancaster Quay site and claimed it would result in a loss of views of St Fin Barre’s Cathedral.
Irish Examiner
www.buckplanning.ie
The company said they were obviously extremely disappointed at the ruling, particularly as the inspector favoured permission and the ruling was a marginal five to four against.
"It was a project that could have started in April and would have created 350 construction jobs and 300 permanent jobs, so in the current economic climate particularly that is very regrettable," a spokesperson said.
However, the spokesman said the company is encouraged by the board’s view that a change of use on-site to hospital use is acceptable.
He said the company will address concerns around the design with a view to submitting a fresh application to Cork City Council by mid-January.
"On that basis and bearing in mind the board’s advisement, we would hope to be in a position to commence construction... in June/July 2010," he added.
The city council granted permission to OCP earlier this year, with 19 conditions, to build the 100-bed private hospital on a two-acre site on Lancaster Quay, Western Road, close to where the company developed Jurys Hotel and the apartments.
At 140,000sq ft, the proposed hospital will include six operating theatres and 20 consulting suites. It is expected to employ up to 300 healthcare professionals once fully operational.
It will be run by leading Swiss-based private hospital operator La Tour Réseau de Soins.
However, a shop steward in the Mercy University Hospital was one of two men who lodged objections with An Bord Pleanála against the project.
Graham O’Reilly, from Mayfield, raised several concerns, and argued the hospital was contrary to the zoning of the Lancaster Quay site and claimed it would result in a loss of views of St Fin Barre’s Cathedral.
Irish Examiner
www.buckplanning.ie
Wednesday, 14 October 2009
GAA to buy council park land for stadium upgrade
A LOCAL authority has agreed to provide land to the GAA to facilitate improvements at Munster’s biggest stadium.
Talks are expected to take place soon to finalise the terms of the deal between Cork City Council and the GAA that will result in significant upgrades to Páirc Uí Chaoimh.
The city has acquired, by Compulsory Purchase Order (CPO), several acres of land around the Showgrounds in Ballintemple, close to Páirc Uí Chaoimh.
The lands were acquired as part of the city’s plans to develop a Phoenix Park-style public park, to be called Marina Park, as part of its multi-billion docklands regeneration plan.
The city has agreed to pay a figure of €11.5 million, plus costs, for the land. The money is payable over a three-year period and a loan proposal will be brought before councillors soon.
As the CPO process progressed last year, Cork County Board saw an opportunity to upgrade the stadium. It presented a document to the Docklands Development Forum entitled Development of Páirc Uí Chaoimh and Showgrounds, Cork which included a request for some of the land to:
* Help the refurbishment and enlargement of the stadium.
* The construction of an associated "centre of excellence".
* The construction of 308 parking spaces.
* An all-weather playing pitch and a warm up area.
* An access concourse.
* And other facilities including a museum, meeting and function rooms.
The refurbished stadium would have the potential to host large concerts and conferences, the GAA said.
It sought just over 4.98 hectares (12.3 acres) of the 10.32 hectares (25.5 acres) of the lands acquired by the city through the CPO – almost half of all the land acquired by CPO. City manager Joe Gavin said while the council was fully supportive of the GAA’s plans, certain aspects would impact on the council’s vision for Marina Park.
He said parking will be available at the proposed Howard Holdings Atlantic Quarter project on the nearby former Ford site and that public transport alternatives will be available.
He said an all-weather pitch and warm-up areas could be located elsewhere.
But Mr Gavin said the city was now in a position to dispose of 0.8 hectares (1.98 acres) to the GAA to facilitate the upgrade, including a 15 metre wide spectator circulation area.
"The upgrading of Páirc Uí Chaoimh would be an important development for the city and the council is now in a position to help with the provision of proper access routes by providing approximately two acres of land surrounding the stadium," he said.
The need for a warm-up area to service the stadium will be included in the overall design of Marina Park, he added.
The price of the land, it emerged, will be hammered out in the coming weeks.
Irish Examiner
www.buckplanning.ie
Talks are expected to take place soon to finalise the terms of the deal between Cork City Council and the GAA that will result in significant upgrades to Páirc Uí Chaoimh.
The city has acquired, by Compulsory Purchase Order (CPO), several acres of land around the Showgrounds in Ballintemple, close to Páirc Uí Chaoimh.
The lands were acquired as part of the city’s plans to develop a Phoenix Park-style public park, to be called Marina Park, as part of its multi-billion docklands regeneration plan.
The city has agreed to pay a figure of €11.5 million, plus costs, for the land. The money is payable over a three-year period and a loan proposal will be brought before councillors soon.
As the CPO process progressed last year, Cork County Board saw an opportunity to upgrade the stadium. It presented a document to the Docklands Development Forum entitled Development of Páirc Uí Chaoimh and Showgrounds, Cork which included a request for some of the land to:
* Help the refurbishment and enlargement of the stadium.
* The construction of an associated "centre of excellence".
* The construction of 308 parking spaces.
* An all-weather playing pitch and a warm up area.
* An access concourse.
* And other facilities including a museum, meeting and function rooms.
The refurbished stadium would have the potential to host large concerts and conferences, the GAA said.
It sought just over 4.98 hectares (12.3 acres) of the 10.32 hectares (25.5 acres) of the lands acquired by the city through the CPO – almost half of all the land acquired by CPO. City manager Joe Gavin said while the council was fully supportive of the GAA’s plans, certain aspects would impact on the council’s vision for Marina Park.
He said parking will be available at the proposed Howard Holdings Atlantic Quarter project on the nearby former Ford site and that public transport alternatives will be available.
He said an all-weather pitch and warm-up areas could be located elsewhere.
But Mr Gavin said the city was now in a position to dispose of 0.8 hectares (1.98 acres) to the GAA to facilitate the upgrade, including a 15 metre wide spectator circulation area.
"The upgrading of Páirc Uí Chaoimh would be an important development for the city and the council is now in a position to help with the provision of proper access routes by providing approximately two acres of land surrounding the stadium," he said.
The need for a warm-up area to service the stadium will be included in the overall design of Marina Park, he added.
The price of the land, it emerged, will be hammered out in the coming weeks.
Irish Examiner
www.buckplanning.ie
Tuesday, 13 October 2009
Historic city lane officially renamed after controversy
AN HISTORIC city lane at the heart of a €600m retail development was officially renamed last night after weeks of controversy.
Cork’s city councillors voted narrowly (16-13) in favour of renaming Faulkener’s Lane as Opera Lane – the centrepiece of Owen O’Callaghan’s Opera Lane shopping precinct in the heart of the city centre.
The retail project, which was officially opened two weeks ago, created 1,200 construction jobs. Some 2,000 jobs will be created once its units and Mr O’Callaghan’s nearby Half Moon Street project are fully let by early next year.
But concerns were raised last week that councillors were not consulted about the renaming proposal.
City manager Joe Gavin presented them with a report on the issue last night.
He said Faulkener’s Lane was significantly widened and developed by O’Callaghan Properties (OCP) into a "most attractive street".
He said in July 2008, OCP requested the name change and said that as the sole landowner, qualified elector and rated occupier on the laneway, the company was entitled to do so.
In May this year, the company suggested it be renamed Opera Avenue but following talks with city officials, it was decided that Opera Lane would be more appropriate.
Mr Gavin said OCP plans to commission a plaque commemorating the history of the lane to be erected on the gable wall of the Queen Anne building.
His report included a formal proposal to rename it Opera Lane.
OCP has said Faulkener’s Lane was a dirty, dingy, smelly and dangerous laneway that was avoided by Corkonians for generations.
Irish Examiner
www.buckplanning.ie
Cork’s city councillors voted narrowly (16-13) in favour of renaming Faulkener’s Lane as Opera Lane – the centrepiece of Owen O’Callaghan’s Opera Lane shopping precinct in the heart of the city centre.
The retail project, which was officially opened two weeks ago, created 1,200 construction jobs. Some 2,000 jobs will be created once its units and Mr O’Callaghan’s nearby Half Moon Street project are fully let by early next year.
But concerns were raised last week that councillors were not consulted about the renaming proposal.
City manager Joe Gavin presented them with a report on the issue last night.
He said Faulkener’s Lane was significantly widened and developed by O’Callaghan Properties (OCP) into a "most attractive street".
He said in July 2008, OCP requested the name change and said that as the sole landowner, qualified elector and rated occupier on the laneway, the company was entitled to do so.
In May this year, the company suggested it be renamed Opera Avenue but following talks with city officials, it was decided that Opera Lane would be more appropriate.
Mr Gavin said OCP plans to commission a plaque commemorating the history of the lane to be erected on the gable wall of the Queen Anne building.
His report included a formal proposal to rename it Opera Lane.
OCP has said Faulkener’s Lane was a dirty, dingy, smelly and dangerous laneway that was avoided by Corkonians for generations.
Irish Examiner
www.buckplanning.ie
Friday, 2 October 2009
Developers to resubmit application for Tesco store
DEVELOPERS who narrowly failed to get a material contravention to build a 2,276sqm Tesco supermarket in a West Cork town are going to resubmit the application, along with another major retail proposal.
Last December Richard Coffey and Donal Hunt saw their €15 million plan for a supermarket at Newtown, Bantry, shot down by county councillors. Two-thirds of the 48 councillors were needed to vote in favour of rezoning the land if the project was to proceed.
Instead of getting the magic 36-plus votes in their favour the developers fell short by two, even though county manager Martin Riordan had recommended a yes vote.
Mr Coffey said he hoped the rezoning would be successful this time, especially as the town needed the 150 full and part-time jobs the project would generate.
Bantry is an unemployment blackspot, registering a 294% increase in the number signing on the live register in recent times.
"Tesco Ireland is 100% committed and has budgeted for the project which they indicate would commence immediately should a grant of planning permission issue," Mr Coffey said.
The two developers also plan to submit a plan for a major redevelopment of part of the town centre, costing an estimated €25m.
That plan will also be submitted shortly and will be financed from the profits made from the Tesco deal.
Mr Coffey said that the project centred on redeveloping the Vickery area of the town, incorporating Vickery’s Hotel, Dix Jewellery Shop, Kiddy Kare and the World Choice building on New Street.
"This development will create further jobs in the construction industry and more full-time employment in the retail sector for the local community," Mr Coffey said.
"In addition this will totally re-invigorate the town centre which will also attract major tourism to the area. Both projects are closely interlinked and are vital to the economic future and viability of Bantry," he added.
Irish Examiner
www.buckplanning.ie
Last December Richard Coffey and Donal Hunt saw their €15 million plan for a supermarket at Newtown, Bantry, shot down by county councillors. Two-thirds of the 48 councillors were needed to vote in favour of rezoning the land if the project was to proceed.
Instead of getting the magic 36-plus votes in their favour the developers fell short by two, even though county manager Martin Riordan had recommended a yes vote.
Mr Coffey said he hoped the rezoning would be successful this time, especially as the town needed the 150 full and part-time jobs the project would generate.
Bantry is an unemployment blackspot, registering a 294% increase in the number signing on the live register in recent times.
"Tesco Ireland is 100% committed and has budgeted for the project which they indicate would commence immediately should a grant of planning permission issue," Mr Coffey said.
The two developers also plan to submit a plan for a major redevelopment of part of the town centre, costing an estimated €25m.
That plan will also be submitted shortly and will be financed from the profits made from the Tesco deal.
Mr Coffey said that the project centred on redeveloping the Vickery area of the town, incorporating Vickery’s Hotel, Dix Jewellery Shop, Kiddy Kare and the World Choice building on New Street.
"This development will create further jobs in the construction industry and more full-time employment in the retail sector for the local community," Mr Coffey said.
"In addition this will totally re-invigorate the town centre which will also attract major tourism to the area. Both projects are closely interlinked and are vital to the economic future and viability of Bantry," he added.
Irish Examiner
www.buckplanning.ie
Friday, 14 August 2009
Employee of Cork hospital opposes private facility nearby
AN OBJECTION has been lodged against the development of a private hospital in Cork by an employee of a neighbouring public facility, the Mercy University Hospital (MUH.)
Graham O’Reilly, employed by the Health Service Executive as shop steward at the MUH, has lodged an appeal with An Bord Pleanála against the development of the €80 million private hospital by Owen O’Callaghan at Lancaster Quay on the Western Road in Cork city centre.
The 100-bed, 140,000 sq ft hospital, to be built at Mr O’Callaghan’s Lancaster Quay hotel and apartment complex, was given the green light by Cork City Council planners last month despite 10 submissions lodged by objectors during the planning process.
Two appeals have been lodged with An Bord Pleanála against the development, one of which has been submitted by Mr O’Reilly.Some 51 signatures from staff and patients at MUH were collected and submitted to Cork City Council in support of Mr O’Reilly’s objection, which was based on arguments against the suitability of the location and the scale and height of the proposed private facility.
The private hospital, which is to be located within walking distance of the MUH, could contribute to traffic congestion that could potentially delay ambulance access to the MUH and as such represents a risk to public safety, according to Mr O’Reilly.
“Existing traffic congestion and the lack of a car park in the area would only be worsened by another hospital so close to the Mercy and could delay AE access,” Mr O’Reilly states in his objection, which was submitted to Cork City Council on June 30th.
Mr O’Reilly says the hospital, which replaces a block of apartments originally planned for the site, would result in a loss of views of a famous Cork landmark, St Finbarr’s Cathedral.
In June, Sheehan Medical announced plans to open a new €90 million private hospital in Mahon, on the eastern outskirts of the city, due to open next spring.
In his submission, Mr O’Reilly questions the need for Mr O’Callaghan’s private hospital, citing the Sheehan development and the close proximity of a planned co-located hospital at Cork University Hospital (CUH). He also claims that the private facilities could result in a two-tier health system.
The plans for the site were lodged in May, and Cork City Council gave the go-ahead for the project at the end of July.
However, conditions were attached to the plan, including a development contribution of close to €1 million.
A second and separate appeal to An Bord Pleanála has been lodged by appellant Kieran Vincent.
Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Graham O’Reilly, employed by the Health Service Executive as shop steward at the MUH, has lodged an appeal with An Bord Pleanála against the development of the €80 million private hospital by Owen O’Callaghan at Lancaster Quay on the Western Road in Cork city centre.
The 100-bed, 140,000 sq ft hospital, to be built at Mr O’Callaghan’s Lancaster Quay hotel and apartment complex, was given the green light by Cork City Council planners last month despite 10 submissions lodged by objectors during the planning process.
Two appeals have been lodged with An Bord Pleanála against the development, one of which has been submitted by Mr O’Reilly.Some 51 signatures from staff and patients at MUH were collected and submitted to Cork City Council in support of Mr O’Reilly’s objection, which was based on arguments against the suitability of the location and the scale and height of the proposed private facility.
The private hospital, which is to be located within walking distance of the MUH, could contribute to traffic congestion that could potentially delay ambulance access to the MUH and as such represents a risk to public safety, according to Mr O’Reilly.
“Existing traffic congestion and the lack of a car park in the area would only be worsened by another hospital so close to the Mercy and could delay AE access,” Mr O’Reilly states in his objection, which was submitted to Cork City Council on June 30th.
Mr O’Reilly says the hospital, which replaces a block of apartments originally planned for the site, would result in a loss of views of a famous Cork landmark, St Finbarr’s Cathedral.
In June, Sheehan Medical announced plans to open a new €90 million private hospital in Mahon, on the eastern outskirts of the city, due to open next spring.
In his submission, Mr O’Reilly questions the need for Mr O’Callaghan’s private hospital, citing the Sheehan development and the close proximity of a planned co-located hospital at Cork University Hospital (CUH). He also claims that the private facilities could result in a two-tier health system.
The plans for the site were lodged in May, and Cork City Council gave the go-ahead for the project at the end of July.
However, conditions were attached to the plan, including a development contribution of close to €1 million.
A second and separate appeal to An Bord Pleanála has been lodged by appellant Kieran Vincent.
Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Wednesday, 29 July 2009
Landings and walkways first priority in Spike plan
CORK County Council is planning to develop walkways, landing areas and information boards as part of the first phase of developing Spike Island as a major tourist destination.
County manager Martin Riordan, who has been the driving force behind the local authority’s takeover of the facility, said his first priority is to get as many Cork people as possible to visit the island, which formerly housed a prison.
"For the first one or two years we will focus on providingaccess," Mr Riordan said.
Brendan Touhy, former general secretary at the Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources, is to chair a group which will oversee what is expected to be a 15-year development of the island as a major tourist attraction.
"We hope that the group will also include the Port of Cork, Fáilte Ireland, the Naval Service and representatives from the harbour communities.
"I hope the group will have its first meeting in the early autumn, at which stage it will start working on a grand vision," Mr Riordan said.
County architect Denis Deasy and Nicholas Mansergh, a senior council planner, are also working on the project.
Mr Mansergh is also involved in creating a tourism plan for the whole harbour.
Mr Riordan said it was hoped to tie in Spike Island with the Queenstown Project for the 100th anniversary commemoration of the sinking of the Titanic in 2012.
"The Port of Cork is very anxious to have other attractions in the area to hold onto tourists and Spike Island would be ideal for this.
"There is also huge potential for the proposed CAT ferry to open up the whole harbour for tourism," he said.
Mr Riordan said the next few years will be spent on labour-intensive projects to make theisland tourist-accessible. The work is likely to be carried out through social employment schemes.
Hendrick Verwey, chairman of Cobh Tourism, said the handing over of Spike Island to the county council was a welcome move.
"The economic benefits to the entire Cork region of having a world-class attraction in Cork Harbour should not be underestimated. The prospect of Cork families having their own ‘Phoenix Park’ on an island in one of the finest natural harbours in the world is also exciting," Mr Verwey said.
Members of Cobh Tourism, along with other groups such as Junior Chamber International, Cobh Town Council, Cobh Chamber, the Great Island Historical Society and East Cork Tourism have played an integral role in the Spike Island Heritage committee.
The committee, under the chairmanship of local historian Michael Martin, mounted a well orchestrated and concerted campaign in 2006 to highlight the history of the island and its tourism, cultural and amenity potential. Mr Martin said thedecision to transfer ownership to the local authority could become one of the most important milestones in the development of the whole harbour area as an international iconic site, attracting vast numbers of visitors to the region.
"The diversity of history on Spike Island is an international treasure," said Mr Martin.
"The willingness of government to release it and the county manager to take it on has to be commended."
Irish Examiner
www.buckplanning.ie
County manager Martin Riordan, who has been the driving force behind the local authority’s takeover of the facility, said his first priority is to get as many Cork people as possible to visit the island, which formerly housed a prison.
"For the first one or two years we will focus on providingaccess," Mr Riordan said.
Brendan Touhy, former general secretary at the Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources, is to chair a group which will oversee what is expected to be a 15-year development of the island as a major tourist attraction.
"We hope that the group will also include the Port of Cork, Fáilte Ireland, the Naval Service and representatives from the harbour communities.
"I hope the group will have its first meeting in the early autumn, at which stage it will start working on a grand vision," Mr Riordan said.
County architect Denis Deasy and Nicholas Mansergh, a senior council planner, are also working on the project.
Mr Mansergh is also involved in creating a tourism plan for the whole harbour.
Mr Riordan said it was hoped to tie in Spike Island with the Queenstown Project for the 100th anniversary commemoration of the sinking of the Titanic in 2012.
"The Port of Cork is very anxious to have other attractions in the area to hold onto tourists and Spike Island would be ideal for this.
"There is also huge potential for the proposed CAT ferry to open up the whole harbour for tourism," he said.
Mr Riordan said the next few years will be spent on labour-intensive projects to make theisland tourist-accessible. The work is likely to be carried out through social employment schemes.
Hendrick Verwey, chairman of Cobh Tourism, said the handing over of Spike Island to the county council was a welcome move.
"The economic benefits to the entire Cork region of having a world-class attraction in Cork Harbour should not be underestimated. The prospect of Cork families having their own ‘Phoenix Park’ on an island in one of the finest natural harbours in the world is also exciting," Mr Verwey said.
Members of Cobh Tourism, along with other groups such as Junior Chamber International, Cobh Town Council, Cobh Chamber, the Great Island Historical Society and East Cork Tourism have played an integral role in the Spike Island Heritage committee.
The committee, under the chairmanship of local historian Michael Martin, mounted a well orchestrated and concerted campaign in 2006 to highlight the history of the island and its tourism, cultural and amenity potential. Mr Martin said thedecision to transfer ownership to the local authority could become one of the most important milestones in the development of the whole harbour area as an international iconic site, attracting vast numbers of visitors to the region.
"The diversity of history on Spike Island is an international treasure," said Mr Martin.
"The willingness of government to release it and the county manager to take it on has to be commended."
Irish Examiner
www.buckplanning.ie
Cork private hospital gets go-ahead
PLANNING PERMISSION has been granted for a €60 million private hospital which is due to be constructed alongside Jurys Hotel on Lancaster Quay in Cork city.
O’Callaghan Properties has already built a new hotel for Jurys and some 175 apartments on the five-acre site.
However, the company has dropped plans to build additional apartments in favour of developing the new private hospital.
Property developer Owen O’Callaghan’s 100-bed five-storey project will create 300 full-time new jobs in Cork and could be operational by autumn 2010. In all, 350 construction jobs are also to be created.
The hospital will include surgical day beds and recovery beds, intensive care, an oncology ward, physiotherapy facilities and a cafeteria.
O’Callaghan Properties believes that the Lancaster Quay/Western Road site is the premium location for a private hospital in Cork city because it is close to a number of existing hospitals and clinics, it is near University College Cork and ample on-site parking has already been created.
The plans for the site were lodged in May and Cork City Council gave the go-ahead yesterday. However, conditions were attached including a development contribution of close to €1 million.
Architects for the site are Henry J Lyons and Partners, with support from an international healthcare operator, backed by a European private equity fund.
The plan has the support of several national and international healthcare operators, including the Health Partnership, which was involved in developing Dublin’s Beacon Hospital and Waterford’s Whitfield Clinic, and is developing the Wyndale Clinic in Letterkenny, Co Donegal, as well as the Wellwood Clinic in Tullamore, Co Offaly.
The new hospital is within walking distance of the Bon Secours Hospital on Cork’s College Road where planning permission was granted in April, for a €100 million expansion, by An Bord Pleanála .
The current proposal from O’Callaghan Properties is the latest in a series of private hospital initiatives in Cork and follows an application by the Beacon Medical Group to establish a €242 million private hospital on the grounds of Cork University Hospital.
Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
O’Callaghan Properties has already built a new hotel for Jurys and some 175 apartments on the five-acre site.
However, the company has dropped plans to build additional apartments in favour of developing the new private hospital.
Property developer Owen O’Callaghan’s 100-bed five-storey project will create 300 full-time new jobs in Cork and could be operational by autumn 2010. In all, 350 construction jobs are also to be created.
The hospital will include surgical day beds and recovery beds, intensive care, an oncology ward, physiotherapy facilities and a cafeteria.
O’Callaghan Properties believes that the Lancaster Quay/Western Road site is the premium location for a private hospital in Cork city because it is close to a number of existing hospitals and clinics, it is near University College Cork and ample on-site parking has already been created.
The plans for the site were lodged in May and Cork City Council gave the go-ahead yesterday. However, conditions were attached including a development contribution of close to €1 million.
Architects for the site are Henry J Lyons and Partners, with support from an international healthcare operator, backed by a European private equity fund.
The plan has the support of several national and international healthcare operators, including the Health Partnership, which was involved in developing Dublin’s Beacon Hospital and Waterford’s Whitfield Clinic, and is developing the Wyndale Clinic in Letterkenny, Co Donegal, as well as the Wellwood Clinic in Tullamore, Co Offaly.
The new hospital is within walking distance of the Bon Secours Hospital on Cork’s College Road where planning permission was granted in April, for a €100 million expansion, by An Bord Pleanála .
The current proposal from O’Callaghan Properties is the latest in a series of private hospital initiatives in Cork and follows an application by the Beacon Medical Group to establish a €242 million private hospital on the grounds of Cork University Hospital.
Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Wednesday, 17 June 2009
Permission for €250m Beacon hospital in Cork granted
THE BEACON Medical Group has welcomed the decision by An Bord Pleanála to grant planning permission for a €250 million co-located hospital in the grounds of Cork University Hospital and has expressed confidence that the hospital will be completed by 2012.
The board of An Bord Pleanála overruled the decision of its own inspector who, following a three- day oral hearing last September, recommended refusal of planning permission for the new two- to five-storey 33,000 square metre hospital on the northeast corner of the CUH campus.
The board ruled that revised road proposals adequately addressed concerns expressed by the inspector in relation to traffic safety, while a minor relocation of the building southwards would ensure it did not have an unduly negative impact on nearby houses.
It made it a condition of planning that the hospital would not become operational until the Bishopstown Road roundabout had been converted to a signal controlled junction and the entrance to CUH and the new co-located hospital moved some 90 metres to the west.
Beacon chief executive Michael Cullen welcomed the decision by An Bord Pleanála and said the new hospital would greatly benefit the health and wellbeing of the people of Cork while providing significant economic benefit by employing some 500 staff.
The new hospital will comprise 175 single rooms with eight critical-care unit beds, six theatres, ambulatory surgery and full diagnostics incorporating almost €26 million worth of new generation equipment and will cater for public and private patients. It will cater for 11,000 inpatients, 20,000 day patients and 12,000 surgeries a year.
“We will spend the next four to six months securing finance and doing detailed designs and we hope to be in a position to start construction work on the hospital either late this year or early next year,” Mr Cullen said.
He expressed confidence the group would secure about €800 million in funding for its Cork project and its two other similar projects in Limerick and Beaumont, although he conceded that financing may involve a greater number of banks than originally planned.
BMG is not buying the site on which the proposed hospital is being built and legal agreements have yet to be finalised with the HSE and the Department of Health for the facility.
Local residents had opposed the project. Eamon Cashell, chairman of the Laburnum/Wilton Residents’ Association, said yesterday that residents in the area were outraged at the fact that An Bord Pleanála had ignored its own inspector’s views.
“The hospital isn’t built yet and we haven’t thrown in the towel,” he said, adding that the residents were considering all their options including seeking legal advice.
“People are outraged at this decision,” Mr Cashell added. “We based our arguments not on emotion but solely on planning grounds and we take some solace from the fact that planning inspector found in our favour, but we’re angered that the board then ignored his recommendations and went against its own experts.”
Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
The board of An Bord Pleanála overruled the decision of its own inspector who, following a three- day oral hearing last September, recommended refusal of planning permission for the new two- to five-storey 33,000 square metre hospital on the northeast corner of the CUH campus.
The board ruled that revised road proposals adequately addressed concerns expressed by the inspector in relation to traffic safety, while a minor relocation of the building southwards would ensure it did not have an unduly negative impact on nearby houses.
It made it a condition of planning that the hospital would not become operational until the Bishopstown Road roundabout had been converted to a signal controlled junction and the entrance to CUH and the new co-located hospital moved some 90 metres to the west.
Beacon chief executive Michael Cullen welcomed the decision by An Bord Pleanála and said the new hospital would greatly benefit the health and wellbeing of the people of Cork while providing significant economic benefit by employing some 500 staff.
The new hospital will comprise 175 single rooms with eight critical-care unit beds, six theatres, ambulatory surgery and full diagnostics incorporating almost €26 million worth of new generation equipment and will cater for public and private patients. It will cater for 11,000 inpatients, 20,000 day patients and 12,000 surgeries a year.
“We will spend the next four to six months securing finance and doing detailed designs and we hope to be in a position to start construction work on the hospital either late this year or early next year,” Mr Cullen said.
He expressed confidence the group would secure about €800 million in funding for its Cork project and its two other similar projects in Limerick and Beaumont, although he conceded that financing may involve a greater number of banks than originally planned.
BMG is not buying the site on which the proposed hospital is being built and legal agreements have yet to be finalised with the HSE and the Department of Health for the facility.
Local residents had opposed the project. Eamon Cashell, chairman of the Laburnum/Wilton Residents’ Association, said yesterday that residents in the area were outraged at the fact that An Bord Pleanála had ignored its own inspector’s views.
“The hospital isn’t built yet and we haven’t thrown in the towel,” he said, adding that the residents were considering all their options including seeking legal advice.
“People are outraged at this decision,” Mr Cashell added. “We based our arguments not on emotion but solely on planning grounds and we take some solace from the fact that planning inspector found in our favour, but we’re angered that the board then ignored his recommendations and went against its own experts.”
Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Sunday, 14 June 2009
Elysian: the final resting place of the boom
It was launched last September with a glitzy party attended by the Minister for Foreign Affairs Micheál Martin. It had a starring role in TV3's The Apprentice and was billed as the ultimate in Celtic Tiger living.
But were property developers dreaming when they built Ireland's tallest apartment block and hoped millionaires would be queuing up to move in?
The Sunday Tribune has learned that nine months after going on sale, just 35 out of the 211 properties in Cork's exclusive Elysian building have been sold.
According to Michael O'Flynn, the developer of €150m project: "It's not the product. It's just the times we're in."
But buyers would need to be immune to the recession and have deep wallets to afford prices which range from €375,000 for a one-bedroom apartment, up to €2m for the largest penthouses.
Not only do buyers get a bird's eye view of Cork from a skyscraper six metres higher than Cork County Hall and 13 metres higher than Liberty Hall in Dublin, they also get black-lacquer kitchens with taps designed by Porsche.
Such extras are key selling points, says Trish Stokes, a director at selling agent Sherry Fitzgerald Cork.
"People who have viewed or bought with us have been extremely impressed by the specifications and the standard of finish throughout," she says. "They tell us they haven't seen that level of high-quality finish delivered in any apartment to date."
However, despite a considerable marketing campaign and a major role in the last series of The Apprentice, where contestants competed to design a television commercial for O'Flynn, the seller is still struggling to shift units.
"It's not as if we're the only ones affected," Stokes said. "It's an even distribution of grief to be honest."
Last Friday, the vast building was almost entirely deserted. With no evidence of residents coming or going, there were only a handful of cars in the vast car park.
There was no sign of any security presence and the reception/concierge desk was unmanned, with the main entrance firmly shut.
All bar one of the ground floor commercial units lay unoccupied and unfinished, with Rabo Bank/ACC the sole business tenant in situ.
A bank employee confirmed the office had been open since January but did not know what other companies, if any, were expected to join them. While an agent's sign claimed that only two medical/office units remain, the almost total lack of activity at the complex suggested otherwise.
The Elysian 'Experience', which appeared to be a partially finished café-bar, lay seemingly abandoned mid-project with no suggestion of imminent completion.
It was all a complete contrast to publicity material for developer, O'Flynn Construction, which says: "Since its completion in mid-2008, The Elysian stands like a beacon above the city."
Sunday Tribune
www.buckplanning.ie
But were property developers dreaming when they built Ireland's tallest apartment block and hoped millionaires would be queuing up to move in?
The Sunday Tribune has learned that nine months after going on sale, just 35 out of the 211 properties in Cork's exclusive Elysian building have been sold.
According to Michael O'Flynn, the developer of €150m project: "It's not the product. It's just the times we're in."
But buyers would need to be immune to the recession and have deep wallets to afford prices which range from €375,000 for a one-bedroom apartment, up to €2m for the largest penthouses.
Not only do buyers get a bird's eye view of Cork from a skyscraper six metres higher than Cork County Hall and 13 metres higher than Liberty Hall in Dublin, they also get black-lacquer kitchens with taps designed by Porsche.
Such extras are key selling points, says Trish Stokes, a director at selling agent Sherry Fitzgerald Cork.
"People who have viewed or bought with us have been extremely impressed by the specifications and the standard of finish throughout," she says. "They tell us they haven't seen that level of high-quality finish delivered in any apartment to date."
However, despite a considerable marketing campaign and a major role in the last series of The Apprentice, where contestants competed to design a television commercial for O'Flynn, the seller is still struggling to shift units.
"It's not as if we're the only ones affected," Stokes said. "It's an even distribution of grief to be honest."
Last Friday, the vast building was almost entirely deserted. With no evidence of residents coming or going, there were only a handful of cars in the vast car park.
There was no sign of any security presence and the reception/concierge desk was unmanned, with the main entrance firmly shut.
All bar one of the ground floor commercial units lay unoccupied and unfinished, with Rabo Bank/ACC the sole business tenant in situ.
A bank employee confirmed the office had been open since January but did not know what other companies, if any, were expected to join them. While an agent's sign claimed that only two medical/office units remain, the almost total lack of activity at the complex suggested otherwise.
The Elysian 'Experience', which appeared to be a partially finished café-bar, lay seemingly abandoned mid-project with no suggestion of imminent completion.
It was all a complete contrast to publicity material for developer, O'Flynn Construction, which says: "Since its completion in mid-2008, The Elysian stands like a beacon above the city."
Sunday Tribune
www.buckplanning.ie
Friday, 22 May 2009
O’Callaghan looks to build €80m Cork hospital
A NEW €80 million private hospital is being proposed for Cork city centre.
Developers O’Callaghan Properties (OCP) this week are to go for planning permission for a new 100-bed, 140,000sq ft private facility alongside their Lancaster Gate apartment development and the new Jurys Hotel, on the Western Road.
The hospital will be just half a mile from the Bon Secours where planning was granted last month by An Bord Pleanála for a €100 million expansion.
The proposed hospital, to be run by an international health group, would be built on a two-acre portion of a site on part of the old Jurys Hotel. More than 100 apartments have recently been built here, with underground parking and a leisure centre. Developers OCP are now seeking an alternative use for the balance of their costly city site, by the River Lee’s southern channel and near UCC.
The hospital building’s outline and height would be in line with a permission already granted for further apartments on the site, noted a company spokesperson.
If permission is secured, building would start right away, and the hospital could be completed by autumn 2010. The proposal is for a 100-bed hospital with six operating theatres and 20 consulting suites. It would create 350 construction jobs and 300 within the finished hospital.
The plan has the support of several national and international healthcare operators, including the Health Partnership, who were involved in developing Dublin’s Beacon Hospital and Waterford’s Whitfield Clinic, and are developing the Wyndale Clinic in Letterkenny and the Wellwood Clinic in Tullamore.
A number of private healthcare locations are mooted for Cork city, including a co-located hospital at CUH, while the Sheehan Medical Group are understood to have shifted their focus from the western suburbs to a building at City Gate, Mahon.
Architects for the OCP proposed hospital site are Henry J Lyons and Partners, with support from an international healthcare operator, backed by a European private equity fund, added the company spokesperson.
According to Owen O’Callaghan, "the Western Road site is the premium location for a private hospital in Cork city. It is close to a number of existing hospitals and clinics, is near University College Cork, has ample onsite parking already developed, is on a public transport route, is adjacent to two hotels and is now backed by experienced specialist health care operators."
The 343-bed Bon Secours hospital on Cork’s College Road was recently given the green light for an extension to include a multi-storey car park and a new five-storey wing with 80 private rooms. The Bons says a detailed design and tendering process will take place over the next three or four months, ahead of a two-year build period.
Irish Examiner
www.buckplanning.ie
Developers O’Callaghan Properties (OCP) this week are to go for planning permission for a new 100-bed, 140,000sq ft private facility alongside their Lancaster Gate apartment development and the new Jurys Hotel, on the Western Road.
The hospital will be just half a mile from the Bon Secours where planning was granted last month by An Bord Pleanála for a €100 million expansion.
The proposed hospital, to be run by an international health group, would be built on a two-acre portion of a site on part of the old Jurys Hotel. More than 100 apartments have recently been built here, with underground parking and a leisure centre. Developers OCP are now seeking an alternative use for the balance of their costly city site, by the River Lee’s southern channel and near UCC.
The hospital building’s outline and height would be in line with a permission already granted for further apartments on the site, noted a company spokesperson.
If permission is secured, building would start right away, and the hospital could be completed by autumn 2010. The proposal is for a 100-bed hospital with six operating theatres and 20 consulting suites. It would create 350 construction jobs and 300 within the finished hospital.
The plan has the support of several national and international healthcare operators, including the Health Partnership, who were involved in developing Dublin’s Beacon Hospital and Waterford’s Whitfield Clinic, and are developing the Wyndale Clinic in Letterkenny and the Wellwood Clinic in Tullamore.
A number of private healthcare locations are mooted for Cork city, including a co-located hospital at CUH, while the Sheehan Medical Group are understood to have shifted their focus from the western suburbs to a building at City Gate, Mahon.
Architects for the OCP proposed hospital site are Henry J Lyons and Partners, with support from an international healthcare operator, backed by a European private equity fund, added the company spokesperson.
According to Owen O’Callaghan, "the Western Road site is the premium location for a private hospital in Cork city. It is close to a number of existing hospitals and clinics, is near University College Cork, has ample onsite parking already developed, is on a public transport route, is adjacent to two hotels and is now backed by experienced specialist health care operators."
The 343-bed Bon Secours hospital on Cork’s College Road was recently given the green light for an extension to include a multi-storey car park and a new five-storey wing with 80 private rooms. The Bons says a detailed design and tendering process will take place over the next three or four months, ahead of a two-year build period.
Irish Examiner
www.buckplanning.ie
Thursday, 23 April 2009
Anger as €100m shopping centre plans vetoed
A €100 MILLION shopping centre which had the backing of several thousand people in the north Cork area has been refused.
The proposed Shipton Group complex for Fermoy would have created hundred of jobs, it was claimed.
Anger is mounting locally over the An Bord Pleanála decision to turn down the scheme. The developers had, in recent years, created the highly successful Blackpool Shopping Centre in Cork city. Shipton Group had sought permission to build a massive retail, office and apartment complex on the site of the former mart in Fermoy.
An Bord Pleanála refused the largest project ever earmarked for the town, believing it would be detrimental to the core town centre trading. The board said, if approved, the development would result in a huge increase in Fermoy’s retail capacity which would be out of scale with other towns of a similar size.
The board also said the height, scale and layout of the project would be "visually incongruous" and would adversely affect the adjoining architectural conservation areas and the setting of protected structures at Lisieux Villas and O’Rahilly Row.
In the report published yesterday, it was also pointed out the development was proposed for an area at risk of flooding. Planners stated that the project could actually exacerbate the effects of flooding in an area adjacent to the River Blackwater.
The initial planning application was turned down by Fermoy Town Council last year. But such was the local dismay that town mayor Cllr Tadhg O’Donovan helped to raise a petition supporting the development and more than 3,000 people signed it which was submitted to the board when the Shipton Group lodged its appeal.
Fermoy town councillor Seamus Coleman said he was bitterly disappointed with the decision. "I don’t accept that Fermoy would have too many retail units if the development was allowed to proceed. This would have created badly-needed new jobs, not just in the town, but in the area as a whole. Fermoy and Mitchelstown have both suffered in recent years from hundreds of job losses," the Sinn Féin councillor said.
Mr Coleman said many Fermoy people went shopping in Midleton, Mallow and Mahon Point simply because they didn’t have the variety of outlets available in other towns.
Deputy Seán Sherlock also criticised the decision. "This is a crazy decision... There has to be an immediate return to the drawing board on these plans, which must be facilitated in one way or another. Fermoy can’t afford to lose out on this opportunity," the Labour TD said.
A spokesman for the Shipton Group said it was surprised and disappointed.
Iris Examiner
www.buckplanning.ie
The proposed Shipton Group complex for Fermoy would have created hundred of jobs, it was claimed.
Anger is mounting locally over the An Bord Pleanála decision to turn down the scheme. The developers had, in recent years, created the highly successful Blackpool Shopping Centre in Cork city. Shipton Group had sought permission to build a massive retail, office and apartment complex on the site of the former mart in Fermoy.
An Bord Pleanála refused the largest project ever earmarked for the town, believing it would be detrimental to the core town centre trading. The board said, if approved, the development would result in a huge increase in Fermoy’s retail capacity which would be out of scale with other towns of a similar size.
The board also said the height, scale and layout of the project would be "visually incongruous" and would adversely affect the adjoining architectural conservation areas and the setting of protected structures at Lisieux Villas and O’Rahilly Row.
In the report published yesterday, it was also pointed out the development was proposed for an area at risk of flooding. Planners stated that the project could actually exacerbate the effects of flooding in an area adjacent to the River Blackwater.
The initial planning application was turned down by Fermoy Town Council last year. But such was the local dismay that town mayor Cllr Tadhg O’Donovan helped to raise a petition supporting the development and more than 3,000 people signed it which was submitted to the board when the Shipton Group lodged its appeal.
Fermoy town councillor Seamus Coleman said he was bitterly disappointed with the decision. "I don’t accept that Fermoy would have too many retail units if the development was allowed to proceed. This would have created badly-needed new jobs, not just in the town, but in the area as a whole. Fermoy and Mitchelstown have both suffered in recent years from hundreds of job losses," the Sinn Féin councillor said.
Mr Coleman said many Fermoy people went shopping in Midleton, Mallow and Mahon Point simply because they didn’t have the variety of outlets available in other towns.
Deputy Seán Sherlock also criticised the decision. "This is a crazy decision... There has to be an immediate return to the drawing board on these plans, which must be facilitated in one way or another. Fermoy can’t afford to lose out on this opportunity," the Labour TD said.
A spokesman for the Shipton Group said it was surprised and disappointed.
Iris Examiner
www.buckplanning.ie
Friday, 27 March 2009
€1bn Cork docklands plan gets go-ahead amid call for funding
THE ambitious €1 billion Atlantic Quarter project in Cork’s docklands got the green light from planners last night.
The mixed-use scheme, seen as a catalyst for the entire docklands regeneration, has the potential to create 4,800 jobs and provide homes for thousands of people.
Developers Howard Holdings welcomed the decision and called again on the Government to deliver funding for critical infrastructure to kickstart the city’s massive docklands regeneration.
"Howard Holdings is obviously delighted with the decision of Cork City Council, to grant planning and the company is reviewing the conditions at the moment," a spokesperson said.
"It’s the first step in the realisation of the docklands vision in Cork and in time, will represent a significant opportunity for Cork and the wider area.
"We now need the Government to commit to the necessary infrastructure to give the market the confidence and make this happen."
Planners attached 24 conditions, but gave the company 10 years in which to deliver its vision.
Once complete, Atlantic Quarter will feature a 51m-span swing bridge over the River Lee, which is dependent on Government funding, a "family" of three soaring cylindrical apartment towers, four huge office buildings with over half-a-million square feet of space, a 200-bed hotel, and a 5,500-person events centre called the Arena.
The tower blocks will feature publicly-accessible roof gardens.
Among the conditions are a reduction by three storeys of one of the project’s three landmark towers — from 19 storeys to 16.
The developers must provide, at their own expense, a shuttle bus service from Atlantic Quarter to the city, and appoint a mobility manager for the development.
A raft of other material changes to the height and design of several other buildings are also proposed.
The total number of car parking spaces on site will be capped at 1,830 spaces, with a maximum of 300 for the events centre, which may be increased to a maximum of 600 on condition that the 1,530 spaces intended to serve the remainder of the proposed development are reduced accordingly by 300.
Last year, Howard Holdings chief executive Greg Coughlan described Atlantic Quarter as a catalyst for other docklands schemes to follow. But he has repeatedly called on the Government to provide crucial "Gateway" money to part-fund the construction of the swing bridge.
The city council has submitted a funding application and a decision is awaited. However, there are fears that the collapse in the State’s finances will mean the money is not forthcoming.
In the meantime, An Bord Pleanála is due to rule in August on compulsory purchase orders to facilitate the bridge construction.
Atlantic Quarter was launched last year. The planning application contained in dozens of boxes was submitted to council on March 7, 2008 and was so large, a separate room was set aside to assess it.
Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
The mixed-use scheme, seen as a catalyst for the entire docklands regeneration, has the potential to create 4,800 jobs and provide homes for thousands of people.
Developers Howard Holdings welcomed the decision and called again on the Government to deliver funding for critical infrastructure to kickstart the city’s massive docklands regeneration.
"Howard Holdings is obviously delighted with the decision of Cork City Council, to grant planning and the company is reviewing the conditions at the moment," a spokesperson said.
"It’s the first step in the realisation of the docklands vision in Cork and in time, will represent a significant opportunity for Cork and the wider area.
"We now need the Government to commit to the necessary infrastructure to give the market the confidence and make this happen."
Planners attached 24 conditions, but gave the company 10 years in which to deliver its vision.
Once complete, Atlantic Quarter will feature a 51m-span swing bridge over the River Lee, which is dependent on Government funding, a "family" of three soaring cylindrical apartment towers, four huge office buildings with over half-a-million square feet of space, a 200-bed hotel, and a 5,500-person events centre called the Arena.
The tower blocks will feature publicly-accessible roof gardens.
Among the conditions are a reduction by three storeys of one of the project’s three landmark towers — from 19 storeys to 16.
The developers must provide, at their own expense, a shuttle bus service from Atlantic Quarter to the city, and appoint a mobility manager for the development.
A raft of other material changes to the height and design of several other buildings are also proposed.
The total number of car parking spaces on site will be capped at 1,830 spaces, with a maximum of 300 for the events centre, which may be increased to a maximum of 600 on condition that the 1,530 spaces intended to serve the remainder of the proposed development are reduced accordingly by 300.
Last year, Howard Holdings chief executive Greg Coughlan described Atlantic Quarter as a catalyst for other docklands schemes to follow. But he has repeatedly called on the Government to provide crucial "Gateway" money to part-fund the construction of the swing bridge.
The city council has submitted a funding application and a decision is awaited. However, there are fears that the collapse in the State’s finances will mean the money is not forthcoming.
In the meantime, An Bord Pleanála is due to rule in August on compulsory purchase orders to facilitate the bridge construction.
Atlantic Quarter was launched last year. The planning application contained in dozens of boxes was submitted to council on March 7, 2008 and was so large, a separate room was set aside to assess it.
Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Thursday, 26 March 2009
NI judge loses Cork planning appeal
A NORTHERN Ireland judge, who was involved in a successful legal challenge to the requirement for senior Northern barristers to take an oath to serve the British queen, has lost a High Court case to overturn permission for a development of three houses allegedly adjacent to his holiday home in west Cork.
In 1999, Seamus Treacy, then a barrister, won a landmark legal action against having to promise to “well and truly serve Queen Elizabeth II”. He and another barrister claimed the declaration discriminated against them as nationalists and was an affront to their political sensibilities.
Mr Treacy, who was appointed a High Court judge in Northern Ireland in 2007, brought High Court proceedings here challenging a 2006 decision by Cork County Council to grant planning permission for a development of three houses at Colla, Schull.
His proceedings were brought against Cork County Council and the Minister for the Environment. The proposed developers, Kieran Coughlan and Claire Riordan, were notice parties.
Mr Coughlan and Ms Riordan lodged their planning application for their site at Colla on March 16th, 2006, and secured permission on July 4th, 2006. They proposed constructing three dwellings and related waste water treatment units.
In his judgment yesterday, Mr Justice John Hedigan ruled the high point of Mr Treacy’s claimed interest was that his holiday home was located nearby, but it was clear the development was below and out of sight of the applicant’s property.
Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
In 1999, Seamus Treacy, then a barrister, won a landmark legal action against having to promise to “well and truly serve Queen Elizabeth II”. He and another barrister claimed the declaration discriminated against them as nationalists and was an affront to their political sensibilities.
Mr Treacy, who was appointed a High Court judge in Northern Ireland in 2007, brought High Court proceedings here challenging a 2006 decision by Cork County Council to grant planning permission for a development of three houses at Colla, Schull.
His proceedings were brought against Cork County Council and the Minister for the Environment. The proposed developers, Kieran Coughlan and Claire Riordan, were notice parties.
Mr Coughlan and Ms Riordan lodged their planning application for their site at Colla on March 16th, 2006, and secured permission on July 4th, 2006. They proposed constructing three dwellings and related waste water treatment units.
In his judgment yesterday, Mr Justice John Hedigan ruled the high point of Mr Treacy’s claimed interest was that his holiday home was located nearby, but it was clear the development was below and out of sight of the applicant’s property.
Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Thursday, 26 February 2009
€400m housing development in Cork gets the green light
THE DEVELOPER responsible for Ireland’s tallest building, the Elysian tower in Cork, has got permission for a €400 million development of 1,200 houses on the outskirts of Cork city. Planning was granted yesterday for the 235-acre site close to the Dunkettle roundabout and Glanmire village.
Developer Michael O’Flynn, managing director of O’Flynn Construction, plans to proceed with the project despite plummeting property prices.
O’Flynn completed the €150 million Elysian apartment complex and Japanese Gardens in Cork city last year, but most of the apartments in the 17-storey tower lie empty. His latest project will see two new neighbourhoods built at Dunkettle and Ballinglanna – 6km east of Cork city – to include local retail and community facilities.
The historic Dunkettle House, a protected structure which is located on the site, will be fully renovated and a management plan to ensure its long-term future is to be put in place. It is hoped Dunkettle House will become a visitor attraction and its extensive grounds will serve as parklands for the estimated 2,500 residents of the new housing development.
The 1,200 homes will be built on a phased basis over a 10-year period and will eventually be served by a new railway station at Dunkettle, part of the Cork to Midleton rail line.
The approved development is an amalgamation of two separate planning applications turned down by An Bord Pleanála in 2004. At the time, the planning board had recommended that a masterplan including both developments be drawn up for the greenfield site.
The decision to permit the O’Flynn Construction scheme provides for substantial new improvements to the Dunkettle Road and the Dunkettle interchange, two of the main eastern gateway points into Cork city, which will be carried out in conjunction with the proposed new neighbourhoods.
Facilities at the site will include a retail centre, two creches and a medical centre. A parcel of land is to be reserved for the provision of a 16-classroom primary school and a day-care centre for older people.
Recreational amenities will include a multipurpose community hall, play areas and “multiuse games areas”.
Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Developer Michael O’Flynn, managing director of O’Flynn Construction, plans to proceed with the project despite plummeting property prices.
O’Flynn completed the €150 million Elysian apartment complex and Japanese Gardens in Cork city last year, but most of the apartments in the 17-storey tower lie empty. His latest project will see two new neighbourhoods built at Dunkettle and Ballinglanna – 6km east of Cork city – to include local retail and community facilities.
The historic Dunkettle House, a protected structure which is located on the site, will be fully renovated and a management plan to ensure its long-term future is to be put in place. It is hoped Dunkettle House will become a visitor attraction and its extensive grounds will serve as parklands for the estimated 2,500 residents of the new housing development.
The 1,200 homes will be built on a phased basis over a 10-year period and will eventually be served by a new railway station at Dunkettle, part of the Cork to Midleton rail line.
The approved development is an amalgamation of two separate planning applications turned down by An Bord Pleanála in 2004. At the time, the planning board had recommended that a masterplan including both developments be drawn up for the greenfield site.
The decision to permit the O’Flynn Construction scheme provides for substantial new improvements to the Dunkettle Road and the Dunkettle interchange, two of the main eastern gateway points into Cork city, which will be carried out in conjunction with the proposed new neighbourhoods.
Facilities at the site will include a retail centre, two creches and a medical centre. A parcel of land is to be reserved for the provision of a 16-classroom primary school and a day-care centre for older people.
Recreational amenities will include a multipurpose community hall, play areas and “multiuse games areas”.
Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Thursday, 18 December 2008
Heritage group to lead campaign for Beamish site
The National Conservation and Heritage Group, which helped persuade brewing giants Diageo to develop the Guinness Storehouse as a tourist attraction, has confirmed it will mount a similar campaign to save Cork’s historic South Gate brewery site.
The group’s chairman, Dublin-based Damien Cassidy, said the site, in the heart of Cork’s historic core and with its striking mock-Tudor frontage, has huge tourism potential. The brewery, founded in Cork in 1792, is to close next March with the loss of 120 jobs.
The decision was announced last month after months of speculation about its future following the Competition Authority’s green light for its takeover by Heineken Ireland.
Heineken Ireland said it decided to close Beamish after a “a review of both individual brewing operations with particular focus on capacity, expansion capability and future investment”.
Mr Cassidy, who led a campaign to save Kilmainham Gaol, said he is hoping to form and then lead an apolitical delegation that would seek a meeting with senior Heineken executives in the coming weeks to discuss the Beamish project.
The group held similar meetings with Diageo when the Guinness brewing site in St James’s Gate, Dublin, was facing sale and possible development. The Guinness Storehouse is now Ireland’s top visitor attraction and the world’s third biggest “brand experience”. Last month, it welcomed its millionth visitor since opening in 2000.
Mr Cassidy said he will stress the success of the Storehouse when the delegation meets Heineken executives in coming weeks.
“We will put the case to Heineken to maintain some brewing on the site and save the buildings on cultural and heritage grounds, but most importantly on tourism grounds,” he said.
He said the site is perfectly positioned in a historic part of the city, close to South Gate Bridge and St Fin Barre’s Cathedral.
* The group has invited the public to attend an open meeting at the Flying Enterprise Bar, near the brewery, at 7pm on Saturday.
Irish Examiner
www.buckplanning.ie
The group’s chairman, Dublin-based Damien Cassidy, said the site, in the heart of Cork’s historic core and with its striking mock-Tudor frontage, has huge tourism potential. The brewery, founded in Cork in 1792, is to close next March with the loss of 120 jobs.
The decision was announced last month after months of speculation about its future following the Competition Authority’s green light for its takeover by Heineken Ireland.
Heineken Ireland said it decided to close Beamish after a “a review of both individual brewing operations with particular focus on capacity, expansion capability and future investment”.
Mr Cassidy, who led a campaign to save Kilmainham Gaol, said he is hoping to form and then lead an apolitical delegation that would seek a meeting with senior Heineken executives in the coming weeks to discuss the Beamish project.
The group held similar meetings with Diageo when the Guinness brewing site in St James’s Gate, Dublin, was facing sale and possible development. The Guinness Storehouse is now Ireland’s top visitor attraction and the world’s third biggest “brand experience”. Last month, it welcomed its millionth visitor since opening in 2000.
Mr Cassidy said he will stress the success of the Storehouse when the delegation meets Heineken executives in coming weeks.
“We will put the case to Heineken to maintain some brewing on the site and save the buildings on cultural and heritage grounds, but most importantly on tourism grounds,” he said.
He said the site is perfectly positioned in a historic part of the city, close to South Gate Bridge and St Fin Barre’s Cathedral.
* The group has invited the public to attend an open meeting at the Flying Enterprise Bar, near the brewery, at 7pm on Saturday.
Irish Examiner
www.buckplanning.ie
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)