No start on 2,500 apartments with planning permission in Cork City

Council to discuss potential emergency responses to the anticipated tsunami of evictions expected following the lifting of the eviction ban

Figures from Cork City Council show planning has been granted for thousands of apartments in several strategic housing developments that are just not being built. Picture: Gareth Chaney/ Collins

Amid fears of a surge in evictions, new figures show construction has yet to start on more than 2,500 apartments with planning in Cork City.

The figures were released this week as city councillors agreed to bring forward next month’s meeting of the council’s strategic housing policy committee (SPC) to discuss potential emergency responses to the anticipated tsunami of evictions expected following the lifting of the eviction ban.

Lord Mayor, Cllr Deirdre Forde told Monday’s council meeting that “we are at a very serious junction in terms of looking after the people of Cork”.

“This [housing SPC] meeting will be critical,” she said.

I would ask you all to leave your political hats at home and come in with real ideas that we can discuss with the executive and that we can discuss at national level.” 

She also raised the possibility of the council applying to the EU for funding to help address the expected crisis and said “it's not all yet lost”.

“But we need to get real, it’s very serious. Let's come up with solutions. We are solutions-orientated and we can do it,” she said.

Chair of the housing SPC, Fianna Fáil councillor Tony Fitzgerald, said people needed to focus on solutions.

“I hope it’s more people-focused rather than political point scoring,” he said.

Worker’s Party councillor Ted Tynan described the political system “as rotten to the core” over its failure to address the housing crisis and branded the lifting of the eviction ban as a “gimmick”.

But Fianna Fáil councillor Sean Martin hit back at that narrative and said the council was delivering on the ground, despite surging construction costs.

“The city council is getting the money from the Government which is getting the money from the taxpayer and every single project that’s going on at the moment, any application we’ve made has been granted by Government. I have never seen a council spend so much money on housing,” he said.

The debate came as developers rounded on the Government on Tuesday for failing to tackle the housing crisis, blaming inertia and flaws in the planning system for the stunting of the supply of new homes.

But figures from Cork City Council show planning has been granted for thousands of apartments in several strategic housing developments (SHD) that are just not being built.

The figures do not include terraced, semi-detached, or detached housing units, which are also included in several of the stalled projects.

All the SHD projects secured planning from An Bord Pleanála since 2019 through the fast-track SHD planning process which was designed to speed up the delivery of housing.

Another 39 relatively small-scale projects, with a combined total of 481 apartment units, have not commenced construction either.

Among the large-scale SHD schemes with planning, but which have yet to start construction are:

• The 1,002-apartment project on the former Ford Distribution site in the south docklands;
• A 609-apartment scheme on the Creamfields site on the Tramore Road;
• A 413-apartment scheme on Jacobs Island; 
• A 302-apartment on Horgan’s Quay; 
• A 190-unit scheme on Centre Park Road; 
• And a 118 unit on the South City Link Road. 

The figures also include the 201 proposed build-to-rent apartments on the former Sextant pub and Carey’s Tool Hire site on Albert Quay, which was scrapped in favour of offices after planning was granted for the apartments and the landmark pub was demolished.

Meanwhile, the Land Development Agency has started work on the former St Kevin’s hospital site on the Lee Road, and work has either started, or is complete, on student apartment SHDs, including on Washington St, the Bandon Road, and on the Carrigrohane Road.