Sweet-maker Ferrero oppose new hotel and home plan for Cork's Airport Road

Nine-storey hotel and 134 home development planned for the site at Ballycurreen

A computer-generated image of the planned new hotel on the N27 road on Cork's Airport Road. Image: G-Net 3D

Sweet-maker Ferrero has lodged a strong objection to plans for a major new hotel and residential development across the road from its Cork factory.

The Italian confectionery giant which produces Tic Tac sweets on the Kinsale Road wants planners in Cork City Council to refuse permission for a seven-storey hotel along with 134 apartments on a site located at Ballycurreen on the southern side of the N27 between Cork Airport and the N40 South Ring Road.

The application for the development was lodged last month by Denis McBarron. It proposes the construction of a mixed-used residential and commercial development made up of 134 residential units in 12, three-storey blocks comprising a mix of one-, two- and three-bed apartments and duplexes. 

A three-storey neighbourhood centre is also proposed that would include a restaurant/takeaway, shop, gym, dentist, physio, hairdressers, creche and outdoor amenity at roof level.

At the western edge of the site facing the road, it is proposed to build a 158-bed hotel ranging in height from six to nine storeys that would include a swimming pool, gym, bar, café, restaurant and function room.

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The plans also include a new entrance onto the Airport Road, including a new signalised junction, along with improvements to the N27, including two bus stops, a cycle lane and footpaths.

However, in a submission to planners, Ferrero’s plant manager Luca Brero said the development should be refused permission. "As clearly stated in the applicant's Planning Statement, the character of the surrounding area is that of commercial or light industrial uses. This is not a location that is conducive to a residential development of the scale envisaged," the objection states.

"Our manufacturing plant operates on a 24/7 basis, and we would be very concerned about the close proximity of primarily residential uses including a hotel, of the scale proposed."

"It is considered that the siting of the proposed primarily residential development, in close proximity to our manufacturing plant, would conflict with established neighbouring uses and would be substandard in terms of residential amenity arising from the intensity, nature and proximity of the established land uses."

The company also raised concerns about the proposed new signalised junction that would also serve their premises. "We also consider there to be no justification for the proposed height of the hotel at this location in the applicant's Planning Statement, which is out of character with, and has no relationship to, its surrounding context."

Ferrero Ireland began operations in Cork on the Kinsale Road in 1975, initially as a packaging facility, with an injection moulding department installed in the late 1970s. The current day manufacturing plant has been in operation since 1995 with the plant currently employing approximately 280 workers.

The planning application also attracted concerns from the national transport infrastructure body TII. They said the development, if approved, would create an adverse impact on the national road where a speed limit greater than 60km/h applies and would be at variance with the foregoing national policy in relation to control of frontage development on national roads.

A planning decision is expected early next month but Cork City Council has the option of requesting further information on the project.