Cork company's second attempt to secure planning permission for creche rejected

Múin co-owner Kate Gaffney: ‘Some [parents] are driving up to 30km a day for childcare places. This decision is weak and tone deaf to the situation on the ground.' Picture: Clare Keogh

A childcare company’s second attempt to secure planning for a creche in a Cork town earmarked for significant population growth has been shot down.

Múin, which runs an afterschool facility in Ballincollig's Castle West shopping centre, and which plans to open a part-time pre-school in Carrigaline in September, said it is considering an appeal of the decision by Cork City Council to refuse planning for its proposed new 96-space creche in the Westpoint Business Park in Ballincollig, where it was previously refused planning for a creche last September.

Almost 400 parents had expressed an interest in securing places for their children at the proposed facility.

Muin co-owner, Kate Gaffney, said parents are devastated by the decision.

"We had people checking in with us weekly for updates and they are devastated by this decision," she said.

"Some are driving up to 30km a day for childcare places. 

"This decision is weak and tone deaf to the situation on the ground."

In its latest application, lodged in February, Ballincollig Múin Ltd applied for planning for the partial change of use and amalgamation of the ground floor of the business park’s units 1, 2 and 3 from office-based industry/high-tech manufacturing to a childcare facility.

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The application included an associated outdoor play area, as well as the reconfiguration of an internal road to provide two pedestrian crossings, pedestrian walkways, dropped kerbs, two drop-off parking spaces, as well as car and cycle parking, with access off the town’s Link Road.

Its planning consultants said they had addressed the council’s concerns which were raised in the September refusal, with re-designs to ensure that the area surrounding it would be a safe environment for children and their parents who would access it.

But in their decision, planners said given the mid-terrace location of the proposed creche, rather than a stand-alone purpose-built facility, it was considered that “conflicting uses, safe pedestrian and cycling movements to access the site, and potential noise disturbance for adjoining units” would materially conflict with the zoning objectives of the site.

They also raised concerns about "a poor outdoor play environment for children", and refused planning.

In a statement on social media, Múin said they had "diligently" addressed the concerns raised in the first application, including measures such as traffic management, off-site staff parking, the construction of new kerbs and access points, and the installation of a zebra crossing.

“Regrettably, the council did not recognise the importance of our service to the community of Ballincollig, particularly in alignment with the Cork City Council's strategic plan for the area,” it said.

It encouraged people to contact people running in the local elections to ensure the voice of the community is heard.