Cork council tells Douglas GAA club to drop contentious plans for access road

Planners told club it 'had not provided a reasonable justification for the proposed access road' and the existing access routes should be used to facilitate the proposed extension of pitch three

An artist's impression of the development at Douglas GAA Club, including a floodlit pitch, astro pitch, new clubhouse and car park.

Planners have advised a Cork GAA club to drop controversial plans for an access road which were submitted as part of a planning application for a new pitch.

The advice is contained in a request for further information issued by Cork City Council’s planning department in relation to Douglas hurling and football club’s planning application for a new pitch.

The Irish Examiner reported last month that dozens of submissions had been made in relation to the planning application, most objecting to the city club’s proposal to build a new access road, which critics claimed had been included to open up adjoining private land for development.

Green Party councillor Dan Boyle described the planning application as “the most cynical use of the planning system in Cork since the demolition of The Sextant bar”.

The club had applied for planning for a new pitch, with an access road off Inchvale Road to the rear of the existing club, and for the construction of a small set-down parking area, a turning area, associated floodlighting, and ball-stopping netting, fencing, and supports.

Land swap deal

The planning application followed a land swap deal between the club and the owners of the adjoining almost five-hectare landbank at Inchisarsfield, the development firm Dooneen Property Developments, linked to members of the McElhinney family.

The land was rezoned last year to facilitate housing, with consultants acting for Dooneen suggesting the site could accommodate up to 100 units.

But many of the submissions on the planning application described the proposed access road as a “trojan horse” designed to open up the private landbank to development, with many arguing existing access routes to the club's grounds should be used instead.

Now, in its request for further information, the planning authority said the applicant “had not provided a reasonable justification for the proposed access road” and the existing access routes should be used to facilitate the proposed extension of pitch three.

Crucially, it said: "The applicant is therefore advised that while the proposed pitch extension is acceptable, the proposed access road, associated parking and turning area are not supported.

“On this basis, you are invited to submit revised plans (site plans and layouts, elevations and cross sections) for the proposed extension to Pitch 3 only, which shall be served by pedestrian access extended from Pitch 2.

You are advised that as this is a significant alteration from the initial proposal, you will be required to re-advertise same.” 

The club has been told that given the required amendments to the proposed development, an Appropriate Assessment Screening report must be submitted to assess any potential impacts of the nearby Special Protection Area (Cork Harbour SPA). 

Also, because the area in question appears to be home to a wide variety of species including some of those listed as protected under the Wildlife Acts, an Ecological Impact Assessment report which details the impacts of the amendment proposed development on the existing wildlife, flora and faunas in the immediate vicinity should also be submitted.

The club has also been told to provide details on how stormwater will be retained and managed on-site to limit discharge to the existing greenfield area, to provide a flood risk assessment that will include an assessment of any potential impacts on flooding elsewhere and on the Douglas flood relief scheme, and given its location to a proposed greenway cycling route linking Douglas to Kinsale Road Roundabout, to provide adequate cycle parking as part of the proposal.