Council gives €140m redevelopment green light

THE €140 million Jury’s Hotel site redevelopment in Cork city, planned by O’Callaghan Properties, has been given the go-ahead by Cork City Council.

It imposed 20 conditions on the planning permission for the hotel and apartments scheme.

There will now be a four-week period for appeals to An Bord Pleanála. As the plan drew about 28 objections or observations, it is likely a third party appeal will be made.

Developer Owen O’Callaghan welcomed the decision, and said a number of significant alterations had been made to the original plan to take account of representations made.

He said the planners’ approval is “good news for Cork, as studies have shown a requirement for new hotels in the city”.

The developer paid €45m for the Jury’s site on Western Road. He also has planning permission for a 200-bed hotel in his €500m Mahon Point development, expected to be operated by the Hilton hotel chain.

The initial planning application made in August for the Jury’s site was amended, with proposed buildings moved on the site, heights changed and the number of apartments reduced from 303 to 257. The new 180-bed six-storey hotel planned for Jury’s is unaltered, and a plan for a nine-storey apartment block is also allowed. Other blocks were reduced from six and seven storeys to five levels.

The blocks of apartments were reduced in height to retain views of St Fin Barre’s Cathedral from Lancaster Quay.