Planning notes: Gresham Metropole refused permission to develop parking facility

A Cork city centre hotel has been refused permission to develop parking at a former car showroom near its rear entrance.

The proposal had been to change use of 500sq m of the premises at St Patrick’s Quay, formerly in use by PJ O’Hea, to car parking ancilliary to the Gresham Metropole hotel, bought last year by Philip Hotel Holdings Ltd.

In plans submitted to the city council, permission was sought by Metropole Operators Ltd for the changes, to provide 43 parking spaces and replace glazing and an existing pedestrian entrance with a roller shutter door for a proposed new vehicle exit.

But the council deemed the change would represent under utilisation of a prominent site in a city centre area zoned for retailing.

It also said additional city centre parking would undermine a transport policy aimed to encourage reduced use of private cars.

A small but prime-location Cork city centre premises has been cleared for change from office to café use.

Robin Power’s plans last September were to provide a ground-floor servery and first-floor seating at St Patrick’s Buildings, previously occupied by financial services before its present vacant status.

The corner building is on the junction of St Patrick’s Street and Grand Parade, and will be very near the two main entrances to the Capitol Cinema redevelopment on which work was recently started for developer John Cleary.

Following the response of the applicant before Christmas to requests from Cork City Council for further information, permission has been granted subject to seven conditions that include a restriction from use for hot food/fast food takeaway.

Plans to extend one of Cork’s busiest conference centres have been lodged with Cork City Council.

In the past 10 days, DHAL Ltd submitted the application to change the first floor kitchen and store room at the Clayton Hotel Silversprings centre to meeting rooms, as well as making internal refurbishments.

It is also proposed to replace the main entrance porch and make other changes to the west elevation, and to provide a new public entrance to the rear eastern end of the centre.

Cork City Council has asked for further information in relation to an application for a new Vision Express opticians outlet on St Patrick’s Street.

The application last November from Paul Litchfield related to 38 St Patrick’s Street, formerly in use as a fashion store between Marlboro St and Cook St, where a refit of the retail unit was proposed.

A further information request has also been made in relation to changes to a unit of the nearby Opera Lane, where a new Specsavers store is planned, plans having been submitted to the same local authority in November for new illuminated external signage.