Events centre planning concerns

CORK City Council’s planning department has raised planning concerns with the backers of a new conference centre which is due to host its first event this weekend.

A spokesperson for the planning department declined to discuss the detail of the correspondence but confirmed it related to certain planning matters.

A spokesperson for the consortium behind the ARC centre also declined to comment yesterday.

It was not clear last night what impact the correspondence will have on the future of the ARC project.

However, Invasion Cork, the Stars Wars experience, is expected to go-ahead as planned this Saturday and Sunday.

The ARC, announced in July, has been described as an innovative solution to the city’s need for a major convention centre.

The project is backed by Clowater Investments Ltd, SDL Exhibitions Ltd and Bill Cremin of Cool Runnings Entertainment.

The sophisticated temporary structure has been erected in recent days on the same 10-acre docklands site which hosted the Live at the Marquee concert series.

The site already has planning permission for a 5,000 capacity venue which was granted as part of a separate planning application.

The consortium behind the 4,000 capacity ARC said they are availing of a special exemption in the Planning Act which allows certain events of a short-term nature to take place.

They also said in July they were confident they could overcome any planning hurdles that may arise and that they planned to submit a detailed planning application by mid-August.

However, this application has yet to be lodged.

Several events are scheduled to take place in the ARC over the coming months including Cork on Ice from November 26 to January 16.