Over 70 new homes planned for former Convent of Mercy site in Passage West

New plans include 60 apartment units and 13 houses on the 1.27 ha site

Buildings currently on site include the former St Mary’s National School, the Sisters of Mercy Convent, a former industrial school and some ancillary outbuildings.

A former convent on Passage West's Main Street could be converted into more than 70 new homes under new plans lodged with Cork County Council.

KC Property Developments Ltd has sought planning and retention permission for a mixed-use development on a 1.27 ha site at the former Convent of Mercy on Main Street, Pembroke in Passage West. 

Buildings currently on site include the former St Mary’s National School, the Sisters of Mercy Convent, a former industrial school and some ancillary outbuildings. The site borders Chapel Square to the South and Fair Hill/The Back Road to the East.

The scheme seeks to retain and complete seven five-bedroom detached houses, which will be accessed via the Black Road. 

The former school buildings on Main Street will also be demolished, including the former school yard walls to the corner with Chapel Square, outbuildings and temporary structures within the convent grounds, along with minor demolitions to the convent building itself.

The developers are also seeking permission to build six four-bed detached homes, as well as the conversion of the former convent buildings to provide 31 new apartments. These units will be a mix of one- and two-bedroom units, the developer said. 

In addition, the new development will also see the provision of a four-storey town centre building, which will accommodate 29 apartments. These will also comprise one- and two-bedroom units. 

The site previously secured planning permission in 2018 for a mixed-use development for 35 apartments, 13 detached homes and two retail units.

The scheme also includes provisions for two ground-floor retail units in the town centre building, along with private, communal and public open spaces, internal roads and pathways, pedestrian access points, landscaping, and the repair of existing boundary walls. 

Existing access from the main street will also be upgraded under the newly lodged plans, as well as public realm works including public lighting and solar panels. 

The developer, KC Property Developments, has recently fallen into receivership as a result of a debenture from February 2022 made between the company and Aros Kapital Limited, a UK-based financial services company specialising in corporate financing.

In February last year, KC Property Developments Limited lodged a petition to appoint an Examiner to the company. 

Cork County Council are due to decide on the development by April 9, 2026.