Council tries to put officials at ease in library saga

SENIOR officials from the Department of the Environment have been invited to Cork in an effort to ease their concerns about the city’s delayed central library project.

The project, which was granted planning permission late last year, has been delayed following an appeal to An Bord Pleanála by the department.

It raised concerns about the project’s impact on the city’s ancient walls.

The new library will be built as part of an ambitious €300 million regeneration of a block on Grand Parade.

Part of the Frinailla project includes the demolition of the old library, except for its limestone façade, and the refurbishment and development of a larger 6,200 sq m library over six floors.

Also included in the project are seven shops, almost 12,000sq m of offices, two cafes and 24 apartments, with two basement levels of parking and widened and pedestrianised lanes being provided between the main frontage on Grand Parade and South Main Street to the rear.

A submission from the department before planning was granted cited major archaeological concerns and called for the project to be turned down.

“This building contains an upstanding portion of the town wall, rare in Cork city,” the department said.

“There has been little attempt within the development as proposed to show how the city wall could be preserved within an appropriate buffer or be incorporated and presented within the development.”

“There are a number of significant structures on this site that should not be demolished. We believe they are capable of refurbishment and adaptation to a new use within the redevelopment.”

Despite this, the council gave the project the go-ahead and the department appealed, delaying the project significantly.

Veteran Fine Gael Cllr Jim Corr launched a blistering attack on the department on Monday, accusing it of “sticking its nose in” and interfering with the project.

He said the council was investing millions in the upgrade of the Grand Parade and the new library would be a catalyst for further investment.

“The department is constantly talking about the importance of local government,” he said.

“This interference is quite unwarranted.”

City manager Joe Gavin said the department’s submission was based on a concern that the proposed development didn’t fully appreciate the archaeological or heritage issues.

He confirmed that department officials have been invited to tour the site next month in an effort to alleviate their concerns.

Mr Gavin said they will be shown detailed plans and proposals for the treatment of the site that will prove they need have no concerns.