Cork builder finally gets go-ahead for housing estate over a year after appeal lodged

Brothers John and Micheal Callaghan had lodged an appeal with An Bord Pleanála over development in Watergrasshill

In its decision, An Bord Pleanála said the proposed development was in accordance with the proper planning and sustainable development of the area, and it would not injure the visual or residential amenities already in the area.

Plans for new Cork homes at the centre of claims individuals sought cash for the withdrawal of planning objections have finally received approval from An Bord Pleanála, clearing the way for them to be built.

Property developer David Hogan had originally received planning permission through his company Vincentia Investments for the 74 homes at Bishop’s Island in Watergrasshill, north of Cork City, in November 2022.

However, an appeal was lodged to An Bord Pleanála by a group called An Lucht Inbhuanaithe, the “Sustainable People”.

A  Prime Time Investigates documentary in December claimed two brothers, John and Micheal Callaghan, had been objecting to planning applications in a bid to extract money from developers.

Altogether John Callaghan, a civil engineer by trade, has been party to 16 separate planning appeals in recent years in seven counties across the country.

Two of those objections were for developments in Cork — a 400-home project at Water-Rock in Midleton and the Watergrasshill development.

In the case of the Midleton project, planning had been initially granted by the local authority to developer Ingram Homes for the 12.6 hectare site 1.5km outside the town centre.

The Callaghan brothers had lodged an appeal in the name of their self-styled NGO organisation An Lucht Inbhuanaithe, but that appeal was withdrawn two days prior to An Bord Pleanála’s target decision date last May.

Mr Hogan told Prime Time Investigates he had concerns about the group’s motivation regarding their appeal against his Watergrasshill development.

At a meeting with one of the brothers, Mr Hogan tried to address the environmental issues raised in the appeal but the conversation turned from environmental concerns to money.  Mr Hogan said one of the men told him: "In the event of the appeal being withdrawn, what about my costs?  

"And he says, if you have a proposal to make, I will be happy to listen.

I had said to him that I would wait, I could afford to wait. And he kind of leaned in towards me and he said, well, you're in a lot better position than most of the guys I'm dealing with.

Due to the lengthy backlog in An Bord Pleanála’s appraisal of cases, it has ended up taking over a year for the case to be decided.

In the response given to An Bord Pleanála on the appeal, its inspector remarked Vincentia Investments said the “grounds of appeal were not clearly stated” and references to the National Planning Framework were “unfounded, unrelated and vague”.

The inspector said the proposals fit in with the Cork County Development Plan 2022-2028, which is to plan to boost the population of Watergrasshill to 1,736 people, with an envisioned growth of up to 149 new homes during the period covering the plan.

In its decision, An Bord Pleanála said the proposed development was in accordance with the proper planning and sustainable development of the area, and it would not injure the visual or residential amenities already in the area.

The approved development is for 74 homes, including eight one-bed apartments, 20 two-bed houses, 30 three-bed houses, 15 four-bed houses and one seven-bed house. 

It also includes a creche, 150 car parking spaces, and other development works on the site, which stretches over 2.74 hectares.