Plans lodged for 130 new homes on former Dell site in Ballincollig

Former Dell/EMC site is to be redeveloped for 130 homes

Computer-generated image of the planned new homes in Ballincollig on the former Dell/EMC office site.

O’CALLAGHAN Properties (OCP) has sought permission to build 130 homes in Ballincollig on a site at Innishmore, formerly occupied by global tech company DELL EMC.

The proposal for a large-scale residential development by OCP-linked Castle Peak Properties Ltd will involve demolishing a two-storey building previously occupied by DELL and replacing it with a mix of apartments and duplex homes, ranging from one to three-bed units.

The development, over a one-hectare site, will be located between two significant residential schemes, including Westview to the south and a second in progress to the north. Westview, on Mechterstädt Road, consists of seven residential blocks, including duplexes, townhouses, and apartment buildings. The scheme to the north of the site includes a mix of two and three-storey homes arranged around communal open space.

In their architectural design statement accompanying the planning application, Meitheal Architects note that the proposed OCP development is planned for a site “that started out as the Topps confectionery factory in 1976, producing popular sweets like Bazooka gum”.

After Topps ceased operations in 1998, the facility was acquired by EMC, which later became part of Dell Technologies. Dell operated there until 2021, after which the site remained vacant. Currently, the land is zoned under ZO 01 – Sustainable Residential Neighbourhoods in the Cork City Development Plan 2022 - 2028, aiming to support residential development and community amenities in line with Cork City’s compact growth strategy.

If OCP gets the go-ahead to develop the site, it will have a central, publicly accessible green space, framed by the apartments and duplexes, with new pedestrian public access from the south.

Three-storey duplexes will run along the north of the site, “scaled to reflect the adjacent residential development”, while apartment blocks to the south will be taller – up to five storeys along Mechterstädt Road, rising to six storeys within the inner courtyard. Materials proposed for the apartment blocks include “a buff brick façade, with recessed elements in grey brick”, with similar tones proposed for the duplex units.

The proposal is for a diverse mix of house types to support “a range of tenures and catering to people of different incomes, ages, and abilities”. The development includes one-to three-bedroom apartments as well as two to three-bedroom duplex units, “offering accommodation suitable for individuals, couples, and families alike”. The apartment units are designed with accessibility in mind, “and configured to allow for future adaptation in line with Universal Design standards”.

Duplexes have been designed to maximise south-facing orientation for primary private open space, while first-floor units will have setback balconies “south-facing in most cases”. Ground-floor units will have south-facing terraces as their main amenity space. The scheme will include parking for 68 cars, and there are multiple bus stops located within 100 m. Meitheal said the “strong connectivity supports car-free and low-car lifestyles”.

OCP said their proposal “seeks to deliver a high-quality, well-designed residential community that responds directly to national, regional and local planning policy, while making a meaningful contribution to the housing needs of Cork City and its wider area”.