Planning granted for Cork city housing scheme

Development comes after permission was refused for a mixed-use scheme that would have included an Aldi supermarket on the same site

The Villa Maria site on Cork's Skehard road. Lyonshall have been granted planning permission for a residential scheme on the site. Picture: Google

Planning permission has been granted for 90 new homes on Cork's Skehard Road on a site that was previously refused permission for a mixed-use development that was to include an Aldi supermarket.

Developers Lyonshall have been granted permission 26 one-bed units, 48 two-bed homes along with 12 two-storey townhouses. The planned development is located at 'Villa Maria' and its adjacent lands.

In 2021 the company lodged plans for the same site for a scheme with 28 homes, an Aldi supermarket and a cafe. However, this was refused by City Hall planners who said the scheme would be "visually obtrusive" and overshadow nearby homes.

In June last year, Lyonshall lodged fresh plans for the current residential scheme. Planners had raised concerns in August that the number of homes exceeded the upper-density target for that area and asked the developers to reduce the number of homes. However, they defended their plans and said density standards were targets and not a cap.

On Friday, Cork City Council granted permission for the development, attaching 35 conditions.