Council claws back €2m in land deal debacle

CORK County Council has struck a deal to buy a controversial 20-acre site in North Cork, which is the subject of two probes, saving itself nearly €2 million on a contract of sale it had previously signed.

The site hit the headlines last July on foot of a complaint to the council by Pushkin Developments.

Pushkin alleged that two bankers had agreed to purchase the site from the company for €8 million, and complained that — even before the company had signed on the dotted line — the businessmen were in negotiations with the local authority to sell the land on for €11.6 million.