Plans for crematorium in North Cork turned down for second time

An Bord Pleanála cited environmental and road safety concerns as reason for rejecting plans for development on site of former hotel near Kanturk

Company had sought planning permission to build a crematorium on the site of the former Duhallow Park Hotel, about 4km outside Kanturk, which would cater for congregations of 40-50 people and up to a maximum of seven ceremonies daily.

Plans to build a crematorium on the site of a former hotel in North Cork appear over after An Bord Pleanála refused planning permission for the project for the second time in two years.

The board rejected an appeal by Classic Lodges against the decision of Cork County Council not to approve the controversial development.

As with its previous ruling in 2020, the board cited environmental and road safety concerns as the reason for refusing to overturn the council’s ruling.

The company had sought planning permission to build a crematorium on the site of the former Duhallow Park Hotel, about 4km outside Kanturk, which would cater for congregations of 40-50 people and up to a maximum of seven ceremonies daily.

Both the council and An Bord Pleanála had also refused to give the green light for a similar development on a 2.7-hectare site on the N72 Mallow-Killarney road at Dromcummer Beg in 2020.

The plans were also opposed by Transport Infrastructure Ireland, which claimed it would adversely affect the operation and safety of the national road network.

In its latest ruling, the board said there was a lack of up-to-date baseline data and a need for further environmental assessments, which meant it could not conclude that the proposed crematorium would not adversely affect the integrity of the Blackwater River Special Area of Conservation.

The board said the location of the crematorium on the N72 would adversely affect the road’s operating efficiency.

In its appeal, Classic Lodges claimed the principle of the development has been established, with the company maintaining the crematorium would not have adverse effects on the efficient operation of the N72.

It claimed the council had failed to give proper regard to the mitigation measures it had proposed about traffic accessing the site.

Classic Lodges argued the previous use of the site of the hotel generated substantially more traffic than its proposed crematorium.

It said a report prepared by consultants demonstrated the crematorium would have “a negligible and unnoticeable impact” upon the capacity of the road network in the area.

Out of character

A total of 46 third-party submissions were made to the board, with many claiming a crematorium was totally out of character with the rural setting of the location.

Another main concern was the potential impact on human and animal health. Local Fine Gael councillor John Paul O’Shea expressed disappointment that a new application for a similar development was being made without any consultation.

Cllr O’Shea said no changes had been made to address the original concerns of local residents, including air pollution and the risk to farming.

One of the board’s inspectors said the site was acceptable in principle for the proposed use and its potential impact in terms of air quality and noise.

However, the inspector, Auriol Considine, said the latest plans for the crematorium had not addressed the board’s previous reasons for refusing planning permission in relation to the adverse effect on the N72.

She also concluded there were gaps in baseline data about habitats and species in the area which were “inadequate” to allow the board to conclude the crematorium would not adversely affect the Blackwater River SAC.