Páirc Uí Chaoimh lodges appeal against planning refusal for redevelopment
Cork GAA spent around €100m on the redevelopment of Páirc Uí Chaoimh during a major revamp in 2017. Photo Denis Minihane
THE board of Páirc Uí Chaoimh has lodged an appeal with An Bord Pleanála challenging Cork City Council’s decision to refuse planning permission for redevelopment at its €100m stadium.
The board confirmed to the that the appeal has been lodged.
In a statement it said: “Out of respect for the process, the board will not be making any further comment at this time.”
Last week, it emerged that Páirc Uí Chaoimh had not acted on advice from the Council that it engage in a third pre-planning meeting before lodging its planning application in July.
The Council had said in light of the scale of the project, it would have been “considered appropriate”.
Prior to lodging the application, Páirc Uí Chaoimh had engaged in two pre-planning meetings in November 2019 and January 2020, with the second meeting taking place 18 months before the application was lodged.
The board defended its decision, saying it received the advice from the Council in an “informal” phone call and that it had “fully and appropriately engaged with the local authority on all aspects of the application throughout the entire process”.
Cork GAA spent around €100m on the redevelopment of Páirc Uí Chaoimh during a major revamp in 2017.
It’s latest proposals are for the reorganization of internal spaces, a new tourist attraction (GAA museum/exhibition centre), enhanced conference and hospitality facilities, a children’s playground at the Atlantic Pond, and, controversially, new car parking facilities on “open space” public lands.
This last element was a key concern in City Hall’s decision to refuse planning permission. The proposed car parking was also “within an area identified as flood storage”. The board did not submit a Flood Impact Assessment as part of its application.
