County council ‘does have planning permission for offices’

THE country’s busiest planning authority does after all have planning permission for its offices, the local authority responsible for the area confirmed yesterday.

Cork City Council was responding to a report in the Irish Times which claimed neighbouring local authority, Cork County Council, did not have specific planning permission for its planning office which is within the city precincts.

Cork County Council's planning department moved to a new premises two years ago occupying the old Liebert factory on the Model Farm Road.

The newspaper report claimed the old Liebert factory only had planning permission as a telemarketing centre.

But Cork City director of planning Jim O'Donovan rejected this claim yesterday and said he was satisfied the present use of the old Liebert factory was authorised.

Mr O'Donovan said the planning permission granted for the factory allowed for use of the premises as administrative headquarters services.

"Cork City Council does not consider the proposed use of the premises as 'materially different' from this condition," Mr O'Donovan added.

And Cork City Council will not be seeking a fresh planning application for Cork County Council's planning offices, Mr O'Donovan added.

The planning department of Cork County Council handles the largest number of planning applications in the country 8,152, according to the latest Department of the Environment records.

It moved its planning offices out of County Hall two years and into the old Liebert factory because a major refurbishment job was being undertaken.

But the council also rented additional office space at the Model Business Park located at the old Liebert factory site.

And they moved a large number of other administrative staff from their personnel, IT and finance services.

The report in yesterday's paper had confused the two premises the old Liebert factory and the Model Business Park which is also on its site, according to a Cork County Council spokeswoman.