Concern at plans to use student apartments in Cork for tourist accommodation

Almost 170 of the 420 rooms in the Lee Point student apartment complex on South Main St are subject of a potential change-in-use, with the developer seeking to use them as tourist accommodation instead of student apartments. Picture: An interior shot of an apartment in the Lee Point complex, Cork.

There are fears of a post-pandemic oversupply of student accommodation in Cork city after an investment fund linked to the city’s newest student complex applied for permission to use almost 40% of its bedrooms for tourist and visitor accommodation.

Irish Student Fund Cork (IV) has applied to Cork City Council for planning for a temporary change of use of 168 of the 420-rooms in the Lee Point complex on South Main St from January to May next year.