Developers to appeal Cork council's refusal of planning for 'super betting office' in city centre

Cork County Council said it had 'very serious concerns' about proposals for works on Castle Street and South Main Street

Project proposed the change of use of the ground floor of numbers 11 and 12 Castle Street from retail use for use as a betting shop. File picture: Eddie O'Hare

Developers bidding to revamp a row of Cork city centre buildings to include a “super betting office” have lodged an appeal with An Bord Pleanála after a knockback from the council.

Holren Properties Ltd lodged the appeal last week against the decision from City Hall, with planners on its behalf arguing it would improve rather than injure the “vitality and viability of Castle Street”.

Furthermore, it argued Cork City Council was taking an “inflexible and dogmatic approach” that would “merely exacerbate the high level of vacancy” on the street. 

It first lodged proposals with Cork City Council in June seeking permission for the works on Castle Street and South Main Street.

The project proposed the change of use of the ground floor of numbers 11 and 12 Castle Street from retail use for use as a betting shop.

There was also a plan to demolish the ground floor internal walls between 10, 11, 12, and 13 Castle Street, and proposals to change signage on the building.

The first and second floors of 9a to 13 Castle Street, and 1 to 7 South Main Street were also all to be converted into homes. These would have comprised six one-bed apartments, one studio apartment, and three apartments with a mezzanine.

A council inspector raised concerns about the amalgamation of shops and said it would result in the turning of “four former separate retail frontage units into one super betting office”, which the council said it had “very serious concerns” about.

The report said allowing these proposals to go ahead “could set a highly undesirable precedence within the city centre”.

It added the development site was a designated protected structure with an important and long history in Cork City.

“While there may be scope for some apartments on the upper floor of the corner sections on the first and second floors of the 'Catholic Young Men’s Society' building; the change of use of the vast halls to residential will constitute a significant loss of historic social and community use. I note An Taisce also raises these concerns,” the inspector’s report said.

In its appeal documents, McCutcheon Halley planning consultants said on behalf of Holren Properties that An Bord Pleanála should reverse Cork City Council’s decision.

The shopfronts on to Castle Street have been “subject to radical alterations and currently have a very negative visual impact” on the streetscape, it said.

It argued its plans would refurbish and/or reinstate the fabric and grain of these historic shopfronts.

“It is submitted that the city council did not give enough credit to the applicant for the careful conservation approach to the reuse of these buildings and the extent of modifications to vacant retail units and upper floors has been overstated, and that the positive interventions has not been fully acknowledged by the council,” it said.

It also said the city development plan points to the under-utilisation of upper floorspace and that bringing such space into productive use as homes would make a valuable contribution.

Furthermore, it argued its original application was subject to a “more onerous decision and assessment” due to the fact it was proposed to have a bookies at ground-floor level.

A date of April 2 has been set for a decision on this appeal.