Plans for over 300 homes in Cork rejected after developer failed to provide for playing pitches

Seán McCárthaigh

Plans for over 300 new homes in north Cork have been rejected because the developer failed to provide for playing pitches within the development.

An Coimisiún Pleanála refused planning permission for the construction of 336 new residential units at Coolcarron, Fermoy, Co Cork by Cumnor Construction Limited.

The plans for 242 houses and 94 apartments/duplexes, as well as a creche on the 11.75-hectare, site were submitted as a strategic housing development application which obviated the need for the developer to first obtain a decision from the relevant local authority

However, Cork County Council had assessed the plans and recommended that the project should be granted planning permission subject to a number of conditions.

Elected representatives for the Fermoy municipal district also voiced support for the development of housing on the lands, although they criticised plans for duplex units for not being family friendly.

Outlining its ruling for rejecting the development, the Commission said the southern part of the site was zoned residential under the Cork County Development Plan 2022-2028.

It noted that a specific objective of the plan was for the development of active open space on the lands to include playing pitches.

The Commission said the proposal by Cork County Council that the developer could retrofit playing pitches into the scheme under a condition to be attached to a grant of planning permission would not be possible within the layout submitted by Cumnor Construction.

It claimed such retrofitting might impact on the proposed layout of the development as well as on adjoining properties and on the overall workings of the scheme which had not been considered or assessed.

In a 179-page report, an inspector with the Commission said he strongly disagreed with the council’s suggested approach.

The inspector, Paul O’Brien, said he would be particularly cautious about the imposition of two playing pitches as a condition without fully considering the impact on adjoining residential units.

He said it might also require a reduction in the number of units which could have knock-on effects in terms of scale and density of the development and the associated need for a revised environmental impact assessment report.

He acknowledged the provision of playing pitches might be “onerous” on the developer but stressed that was the requirement under the county development plan which had identified a need for pitches in that part of Fermoy.

Mr O’Brien noted that the wording of the relevant objective had been changed since the previous development plan in 2017.

“It is obvious that the need for pitches in this part of Fermoy remains an objective of Cork County Council,” said Mr O’Brien.

While he observed that the development plan does not specify what the dimension or layout of a playing pitch should be, he accepted two pitches would require a significant area of land.

“It is not possible to just fit in such pitches onto the existing layout without a significant loss of housing units and potential unforeseen impacts on the layout/adjoining area/on existing third parties,” he added.

The Commission concluded that the Cumnor’s plans represented a material contravention of the Cork County Development Plan 2022-2028 and that it would “result in a poor quality of residential amenity.”

Cumnor Construction – which is based in Blarney, Co Cork, had made a provision for four “flexible open spaces” with “natural play features” in its plans for landscaping and amenity areas on the site.

It claimed over 15 per cent of the development was set aside for public open space with play areas dispersed throughout the scheme.

The company argued that there were a number of public playing pitches to the immediate north of the site and the requirement for playing pitches on its lands was “a legacy issue.”

It said the proposed development, which was to be located about 1km to the south of Fermoy’s town centre, would function as a natural extension of the town and would promote compact growth in an area that could be served by public transport and walking.

Cumnor maintained that the project would “provide a positive and significant contribution to the housing supply” in the area and would address a significant shortfall in housing output.