2140554

Permission for the construction of a residential development at Old Fort Gate, Ballincollig, Cork, comprising 16 no. apartments (10 no. 1 bedroom apartments and 6 no. 2 bedroom apartments) in a four storey building and all associated site development works including car parking, bicycle and bin storage, drainage, public lighting, landscaping and amenity areas. The development will have access via Old Fort Gate and Powdermills Road and a pedestrian crossing will also be provided on Powdermills Road.

Granted

Core Planning Reasoning

The Inspector recommends the removal of restrictive condition 7(a) and (b), finding that units 2 and 3 provide acceptable levels of residential amenity as technical data confirms they meet and exceed daylight and sunlight standards despite site constraints.

Decision Maker's Conclusion

  • Units 2 and 3 achieve Average Daylight Factor (ADF) results of 4.34% and 4.24% respectively, which is significantly higher than the 2% target for living/kitchen/dining rooms.
  • Sunlight analysis indicates that the private amenity spaces for these units receive at least 2 hours of direct sunlight on March 21st, exceeding minimum regulatory requirements.
  • The proposed apartment block, including the contested units, complies with the Sustainable Urban Housing: Design Standards for New Apartments (2022) and aligns with proper planning and sustainable development.

Cited Policies (CDP)

Objective 11.4 - Daylight Sunlight and Overshadowing (DSO)Section 11.9 Apartment DesignZoning Objective ZO 6 - Urban Town CentreZoning Objective ZO 1 - Sustainable Residential NeighbourhoodsChapter 2 Core StrategyChapter 3 Delivering Homes and CommunitiesChapter 4 Transport and MobilityChapter 11 Placemaking and Managing Development

Decision Document Summary

This Inspector's Report addresses a first-party appeal by O'Flynn Construction Company against Condition 7 of a permission granted by Cork City Council for 16 apartments at Old Fort Gate, Ballincollig. The planning authority had mandated the omission of units 2 and 3 on the lower ground floor, citing concerns that the sloping site's retaining walls and overhead gantry would result in inadequate natural light. The Inspector conducted a detailed assessment of the 'Daylight, Sunlight and Overshadow...
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