Future of 320-space carpark in Cork's Mahon used by EMC staff in doubt

The future of an unauthorised carpark on public land in one of Cork’s most congested areas is in doubt after a planning ruling.

City planners have deemed as invalid developer John Cleary’s planning application to retain full planning for three years for the carpark on council-owned land in Mahon.

The 320-space facility is used by staff of computer storage company EMC. The Mahon area is one of the city’s worst traffic blackspots.

The planners have said the developer cannot apply for retention in this case without preparing an environmental impact assessment. If Mr Cleary now opts to apply for full planning on a site in public ownership, the carpark site will have to be vacated.

The latest twist in the saga follows the lodging of a planning application just over two weeks ago by Progressive Commercial Construction Ltd, of which Mr Cleary is a director, for the St Michael’s Drive site.

During the construction of City Gate it was licensed by the council for use as a storage compound and for construction traffic. Zoned since the summer for business and technology use, it is now an unauthorised car- park. Following complaints, it was signalled to Mr Cleary that the matter had to be addressed, and the council gave him permission to seek planning on land it owns.

A spokesman for Mr Cleary said the planning application was an attempt to regularise the situation. Documents seen by the Irish Examiner show Mr Cleary’s planning consultants arguing that the car- park was necessary pending the expansion of proposed public transport services for the Mahon area. They said if it was granted planning, the temporary and non-commercial nature of what would actually become a 220-space carpark would ensure the future development of the site is not compromised.

However, Fine Gael councillor Laura McGonigle said the fact the application was now deemed invalid left the council in an incredible position “whereby the executive of Cork City Council was aware of this unauthorised carpark on council-owned lands, for almost a year, before councillors were made aware of the situation”.

“Subsequently the advice of senior management to Progressive Commercial Construction Ltd to regularise the situation, was to apply for retention.

“However, the determination of the council’s own senior planner is that the council is precluded from considering the application, because a determination on an environmental impact statement is required.”