€50m conference and events centre gets green light

An Bord Pleanála has given the green light for a €50m events and conference centre in Cork City.

The board’s decision on developer Owen O’Callaghan’s proposed 5,000-seat facility on Albert Quay came despite its own inspector’s recommendation last year to refuse permission.

The board said in deciding not to accept that recommendation, it had agreed the development as originally conceived, with a single point of access and egress from Albert Quay, had represented a potential danger to public safety from traffic hazard.

But the board said it considered a revised proposal with a second access and egress point to Albert Rd overcame this concern.

It attached conditions to the granting of permission, including that the developer upgrade the public lighting on Albert Quay, Albert St and Albert Rd to modern standards.

Mr O’Callaghan welcomed the ruling, saying “The absence of such a facility has long been a major deficit in Cork’s business and tourism infrastructure.”

The board’s decision brings to three the number of events centres with planning in the city. BAM, with site owners Heineken Ireland, has planning permission for a €150m proposal on the former Beamish and Crawford site.

Planning permission is still valid for a centre on the old Ford distribution site near Páirc Uí Chaoimh, proposed by Howard Holdings.

However, it is expected Mr O’Callaghan and Heineken/BAM will be the front runners for public funds which could be made available to help secure the development of a large-scale events centre in the city.

Last April, city manager Tim Lucey invited the private sector to engage in a competitive process which will see developers outline the level of funding they need to bridge the “market failure” gap to get such a project off the ground. Mr O’Callaghan said his company will engage positively with that process.

“If we are successful, it is envisaged we would be on site early next year,” he said.