Last historic lane on Cork street gated as part of student housing development

Coleman's Lane was one of the Reimagine Cork projects undertaken in 2016. This week, builders have installed a gate on the laneway.

Residents of Cork City’s historic Middle Parish have been left divided by the sight of gates going up on North Main Street’s last ungated laneway as part of the new Coleman’s Court student housing development.

Coleman’s Lane, connecting North Main Street and Grattan Street, is one of 42 narrow laneways that were a feature of North Main Street dating to medieval times when it was the main thoroughfare of the city.

Most of these lanes have been absorbed into buildings down through the years, with just a handful remaining gated but visible. Plaques commemorating many of the vanished lanes were installed on the street in the late 1990s.

In 2004, Cork City Council permitted St Peter’s Lane to be gated on request from residents, leaving Coleman’s Lane the last remaining ungated lane leading west from the street.

London-based property developers BMOR Developments got planning permission for a Strategic Housing Development for a 279-bed student apartment complex adjacent to Coleman’s Lane on the former derelict Munster Carpets site in 2020.

This week, builders have installed a gate on the laneway. It’s understood that there will be public access to the lane in the day but that students will access their accommodation from the lane with a key fob at night.

Estate agents advertising two-bed studio apartments in the development for €1,840 per month are stating on Daft.ie that “the secure property is accessed by gated access from North Main Street.” 

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“The development is fully compliant with grants of planning and conditions imposed by Cork City Council and An Bord Pleanála regarding the laneway,” BMOR Developments’ public relations firm told the Irish Examiner in a statement.

Cork City Council directed the Irish Examiner to An Bord Pleanála to answer queries regarding the decision to gate Coleman’s Lane. Pre-planning documents for Coleman’s Court lodged with An Bord Pleanála noted “further discussions” needed to take place about the existing right of way at Coleman’s Lane.

However, An Bord Pleanala’s decision on Coleman’s Court, signed by former ABP deputy chair Paul Hyde in October 2020, made no reference to any decision taken to restrict access to the public right of way.

Some residents say they are happy for Coleman’s Lane, formerly prone to anti-social behaviour, to be gated. But others feel it’s a blow to the heritage of the area.

Local resident Carla O’Connell is secretary of Middle Parish Community Association. Rather than gating the laneway, she would rather see it re-activated, restored and properly lit, she said.

“I don’t think it should be gated,” Ms O’Connell said. “Before construction started there was often needles, faeces and urine there and it was pretty awful.

But people are working on the assumption that it will be the same as before, whereas it is quite bright and open and it’s backing onto what will be a busy residential building: it will be more used and that will deter antisocial behaviour.

To hand control of a public right of way to a private company, Cork City Council must seek to formally extinguish a public right of way in line with the Roads Act 1993, which requires a public consultation process and a council vote. No such process has taken place to date.

Ms O’Connell said gating the laneway without undergoing the extinguishment process was “half measures” on the part of the council.

“I don’t understand why they didn’t go through the process and dissolve the right of way,” she said.