Plans to build almost 200 homes near Tower, Co Cork

Plan for the 7.5-hectare site includes almost 200 homes and a supermarket, creche, and cafe 

Cloghroe Development Ltd is seeking to have its application treated as a strategic housing development which would allow it to apply directly to An Bord Pleanála. File picture: PA

Plans for a major housing development of almost 200 homes and a supermarket, creche, and café near Tower, outside Cork City, have been lodged with the planning board, for consideration under its fast-track scheme.

Cloghroe Development Ltd, which is part of Cork- and London-based Bmor Developments Ltd, is seeking to have its application treated as a strategic housing development which would allow it to apply directly to An Bord Pleanála for permission to build on the 18.7-acre (7.5-hectare) site.

The case is currently in “consultation” phase, with the board due to adjudicate by March 2.

The proposal, to develop land in Coolflugh, Cloghroe, near Dromin Drive, is for 124 houses, including three-bed and four-bed detached and semi-detached homes, and four-, three-, and two-bed townhouses. The most dominant house type is the four-bed semi-d, which would account for 44 units. The proposal also includes plans for 36 own-door duplex apartments — a mix of one-, two-, and three-bed — as well as 22 one-bed apartments. The café would have two apartments overhead. 

The residential element of the scheme would have almost 300 car parking spaces, with another circa 100 earmarked for the commercial mixed-use element, on about two acres of the site. The site drawing includes an amenity walk, wooded areas, and urban plazas.

On-site creche

The on-site creche would provide 42 childcare places, with the food retail outlet measuring just over 14,000 sq ft. As it stands, the only sizeable nearby supermarkets are O’Leary’s SuperValu in Tower or SuperValu and Centra in The Square in Blarney. German discount stores Lidl and Aldi do not currently have a presence in the area, but Lidl did lodge a planning application for a new store in Blarney last August. The nearest Aldi is in Blackpool.

The Irish Examiner asked Bmor for a comment in relation to the proposed development but no-one was available. Planners have shot down other proposed schemes in the general Tower area, amid local opposition and citing issues such as risk of flooding.

Bmor is behind a number of significant developments in Cork and director Paul Irwin, a Cork native, has previously said one of their goals is to help to regenerate Cork City and county.

The company last year announced plans to invest in a €25m regeneration of the city's North Main St with a mixed-use scheme, including a 280-bed student accommodation facility, and restoration of historic Coleman’s Lane. 

There were also reports of Bmor’s plan to redevelop the largely mothballed 60,000 sq ft North Main St Shopping Centre, vacated by anchor tenant Dunnes Stores five years ago. The plans were understood to include the possibility of a hotel and reconfigured retail units, and the possibility of a bid to acquire control of the multi-storey car park also, for hotel parking and other users.