Krispy Kreme launches fresh planning bid for Cork city centre store

The doughnut chain is seeking a decision from An Bord Pleanála on whether change of use for its St Patrick's Street store from a retail shop to a patisserie shop should be exempted from requiring planning permission

Krispy Kreme opened on St Patrick's Street in spring 2023. Picture: Cian O'Regan

The ongoing planning saga surrounding the Krispy Kreme outlet on St Patrick’s Street in Cork has taken a new turn, as a fresh planning bid was launched to secure the future of the site.

In its latest twist, Krispy Kreme Ireland Ltd is seeking to retain permission to operate the outlet on Cork city’s main thoroughfare by clarifying whether changing the site’s use from retail to a doughnut shop should be exempted from requiring planning permission at all.

In November 2023, it lodged permission for its location in the city centre several months after it had opened earlier that spring to great fanfare.

It had taken out a 10-year lease on the ground floor only of Porter’s, which closed in October 2022.

However, a Cork City Council inspector said the proposed use by Krispy Kreme would be contrary to the city’s development plan.

“As the premises is located within the ‘Core Retail Area’ of the city centre, the existing cafe use would be contrary to policy objective 10.5, which is to ‘support the function of the core retail area as the primary location of comparison shopping in the region’,” the inspector said.

The inspector also determined the existing signage on Krispy Kreme’s shopfront would have a “visual adverse effect on the architectural conservation area”, which is separately in contravention of the city development plan.

However, Krispy Kreme appealed that initial council rejection to An Bord Pleanála, claiming its business was a retail outlet, just like the previous occupants of same premises.

The restrictions on businesses on the street relate to hot food takeaway and restaurant uses, which Krispy Kreme said was not applicable in this case.

However, it withdrew its appeal late last year, with no comment made on the reason behind pulling its bid.

In its new planning bid, Krispy Kreme is seeking a decision from An Bord Pleanála as to whether changing the use of 42a St Patrick’s Street from a retail shop to a patisserie shop “is or is not development” and whether it does or does not constitute “exempted development”.

Under the planning regulations, categories are set out for what constitutes “exempted development” under planning law.

According to Cork City Council, “all development that is not exempted under planning law requires planning permission”.

In other words, if An Bord Pleanála was to agree that changing the use of, and internally fitting out, the site as a doughnut shop was exempted development, then Krispy Kreme would not require planning permission to continue operating on that site.

A decision date of June 25 has been set in this case.