PLANS for a large-scale housing development in Bandon has been lodged with Cork County Council.

Castle Rock Homes Ltd has lodged an application with the local authority outlining plans to build 214 homes at Knockbrogan, Bandon.

The company detailed its proposal to apply for a seven-year planning permission for the housing development, to include three ESB sub-stations and all associated works including footpaths, car and bicycle parking, drainage, bin storage, public lighting, landscaping and amenity areas.

Access to the site would be via the N71 Cork road and the company says in its pre-validation documents the development would ‘contribute to the realisation of the housing and population targets for Bandon and the Cork Metropolitan Area.’

Castle Rock Homes Ltd says if planning is granted it will provide the required 10% of units for Part V (which relates to social and affordable housing) providing 21 houses – two three-bed semi-detached houses (cost per unit €538,854), seven three-bed end of terrace homes (cost per unit €517,741) and 12 two-bed mid-terrace units (cost per unit €398,673).

Following meetings between council planners and the company’s planning consultant the council issued an opinion on several aspects of the proposal, including traffic, access, parking, public lighting, cycle lanes and footpaths.

The council notes that with plans to construct the estate roads, sewers, footpaths and cycleways taking little or no material off site, subsidence ‘is a significant concern’.

In response consultants for Castle Rock Homes Ltd said geotechnical testing, including trial pits, dynamic probes and soil analysis, has been undertaken and foundations will be up to standard.

The company has also submitted a detailed Traffic Impact Assessment examining all junctions including existing junctions at Macroom Road, Convent Hill, Kilbrogan Hill and Sean Hales Place.

The local authority also requested that revised drawings be submitted detailing the provision of two parking spaces per residential unit.

The developer said this would be done ‘where feasible’ but in the case of two-bed mid-terrace dwellings these would be allocated one parking space each.

It advised: ‘Overall, 68% of the proposed dwellings provide two parking spaces, which is a significant level of provision given that the remaining 32% of the development consists of modest two-bedroom mid-terrace units where one space per dwelling is considered sufficient and appropriate.’

The pre-validation documents on behalf of Castle Rock Homes also point out that one target under the current Cork County Development Plan is the provision of an additional post primary school in Bandon.

The town had a population of 8,196 in census 2022.

The County Development Plan notes: ‘Bandon has been allocated a population target of 8,770. In order to accommodate this level of population growth, an additional 694 housing units will be required for the period 2022-2028.’

The application can be viewed online at the website set up by the applicant: www.knockbroganIrd.ie