Cloheen Developments Ltd have made public their plans for a large-scale residential development in Clonakilty, consisting of 246 houses and a creche to accommodate 65 children.
The development is on 8.09 hectares of land to the south of the town, south of the agricultural grounds.
Planning was previously granted in 2007 in the area for 55 houses, but revised on foot of an An Bord Pleanála appeal.
The houses are a mix of mostly four and three-bedroom units, with 31 two-bedroom residences and 12 single-bedroom sheltered housing units. There are also plans for two and one-bedroom apartments.
Of the 246 units, 50 will be dedicated to social housing, a mix of one-bed apartments, and two and three-bedroom houses and apartments. Access to the development, should it be successful, will be via Bothar Na Pairce at the Clonakilty Park Hotel, and at Lady’s Cross.
Uisce Éireann have given a ‘confirmation of feasibility’ to the would-be developers, but noted that the watermain network will need to be extended by about 90 metres on the western side, and upgrades on another 225 metres of the network.
Uisce Éireann say that they currently have no plans to extend the network, and so the costs for this will be included in the connection fee. Likewise, about 450 metres of upgrades will be needed on the eastern side, also to be funded by the applicant.
For a wastewater connection, about 105 metres of of the sewer network will need to be connected on the western side, and again the applicant will need to pay the costs as part of the connection fee. On the eastern side, the connection point is owned by a third party, and so permission would need to be obtained in order for Uisce Éireann to take in charge some aspects of the infratructure, and it will then be inspected and costs applied if necessary.
A social community audit included with the planning documents projects Cork to be one of the fastest-growing areas in the state over the next 20 years, and that Clonakilty is a ‘key town’ with this regard.
Cork County Council’s aim is to grow the population of the town to 6,162 people by 2028; the current population of Clonakilty is 5,112. The planning application was submitted last week, and a decision is due by Cork County Council at the end of July.
Bandon
Meanwhile, in Bandon, permission is being sought for 22 houses, in the Gully area of the town.
The development will involve the construction of eight three-bedroom houses, two two-bedroomed ones, and six two-bedroom duplex apartments.
A further six three-bedroom duplex apartments are also planned.
If successful, an existing wall on the site will be partly demolished.
The application was made early last week, and a decision is due by the end of July.
Elsewhere in Bandon, a separate development of 16 houses and four apartments was granted planning in Castleheights, Coolfadda by Cork County Council in early April.
This decision, however, has since been appealed to An Bord Pleanála, and a decision due in early September.
