Five-storey student block approved for wealthy Cork neighbourhood

The 30-apartment student development will have 216 bed spaces and be built on Orchard Road in Cork city

An Bord Pleanála has approved the construction of some 216 student beds on the site in Orchard Road. 

The state planning authority has given the nod for a 30-apartment student development between Victoria Cross and College Road in Cork, disagreeing with its inspector that it would negatively impact the area.

An Bord Pleanála greenlit Denis O’Brien Developments (Cork) Ltd’s application for a five-year planning permission for the student accommodation development at San Paula, Orchard Road, which proposes the construction of a one to five-storey development including 30 student apartments in three blocks with a total of 216 bed spaces.

Orchard Road has a number of homes valued over the €1m mark, and the San Paula site was acquired in late 2017 for €1.9m.

An Bord Pleanála said the proposed development would be in accordance with the proper planning and sustainable development of the area, overruling its inspector’s concerns about the height, location near to other houses, and potential traffic congestion.

It noted the concerns of the inspector on the basis of the elevated position and height of the proposed development relative to adjoining houses, but given that the nearest property was almost 26 metres away, it was not enough of a reason to refuse permission.

It said it was satisfied that the proposed development showed an appropriate balance between higher residential densities, including for student accommodation, and the protection of the existing amenities and established character of the area.

The plan was lodged under the Strategic Housing Development (SHD) application process, which is designed to fast-track the planning process by bypassing local authorities and going straight to An Bord Pleanála.

The development would be made up of one four-bed apartment, 10 six-bed apartments and 19 eight-bed apartments, the applicants said.

It would also include a study/meeting room, lounge, cinema, a reception area, management offices and storage.

A total of 120 bicycle parking spaces and four car parking spaces are also part of the plans.

Other works including landscaped areas, vehicular and pedestrian access, footpath upgrades at Orchard Road, site infrastructure, and the provision of PV panels at roof level form part of the plans, the developer said.

No fast food outlets or the selling of alcohol will be allowed within the development.

In its application to An Bord Pleanála, the developer said the scheme will be managed by ScholarLee, which it calls a well-established operator of guest accommodation in the student and tourist sector in Cork city.

Properties under management include ScholarLee Bishop Street, ScholarLee Magazine Road and ScholarLee Washington Street.

The proposed site was specifically identified due to its convenient location and proximity to the main campus of UCC, as well as its convenient location to other departments such as Tyndall, and other third level institutions such as the Crawford College of Art and Design and Cork Institute of Technology.

The development is one of a number of student accommodation complexes proposed for Cork city. Some 280 beds are proposed for North Main Street and developments on Washington Street and Bandon Road have recently been granted planning to increase in size too.

There are currently around 2,500 dedicated student beds under construction in the vicinity of the UCC campus, and estimates say the market will need over 5,000 by 2024.