County Hall view protected by site plans

A GATEWAY site close to Cork County Hall is to be redeveloped as a six-storey apartment and commercial complex.

But the sizes of the proposed buildings on the Crow’s Nest pub site have been substantially reduced from the initial 15-storey proposal lodged over two years ago to protect views of County Hall.

An Bord Pleanála finally gave the go-ahead yesterday for developers Robert Kennedy and Barry O’Connor to proceed with their multi-million euro plan for the site at the junction of Carrigrohane Road and Victoria Cross.

The pair applied in 2005 for permission to build a commercial and apartment complex, including a landmark 15-storey tower block, but Cork City Council directed a reduction in the size of the tower to protect views of County Hall, a protected structure.

Revised plans were submitted for a 10-storey tower and the council eventually granted permission for the project, but included as a condition that it be scaled back to six storeys.

This decision was appealed to An Bord Pleanála which requested an entirely new planning application be submitted to include detailed plans for the tower.

It is this proposal which has finally been cleared. However, the board has directed that the block facing onto Carrigrohane Road be reduced to five storeys with a set-back. The plan provides for the demolition of all buildings including the two-storey Crow’s Nest pub, and four two-storey homes at 1 to 4 Victoria Terrace and the MP Crowley machinery shed and yard.

They will be replaced with mixed-use residential and commercial building, two levels of underground parking providing space for 112 cars with a new vehicular access from Carrigrohane Road.

The residential accommodation will have 74 apartments. The commercial floor space of 937.8 square metres will consist of four ground floor units.

Communities for Sustainable Development welcomed the commercial element of the plan, but spokesman Mick Murphy said his group still had concerns about the height of the buildings and the density of apartments.

The Crow’s Nest has been boarded up since fire ripped through the building in 2004.