2543847
A 10-year planning permission for the following Large Scale Residential Development (LRD) comprising 274 no. student accommodation apartments and a total of 957 no. bed spaces. The proposed LRD includes the following works: i) the partial demolition, conservation, redevelopment and extension of the existing former Good Shepherd Convent buildings for student accommodation use; ii) modifications (including the removal of a glasshouse extension) to the former Bake House/Coach House building to provide a community / amenity space; iii) the conservation, redevelopment and extension of the existing Gate Lodge to provide a café, co-working space and security/administrative office use; iv) the demolition of the former hostel building (known as Well House) and demolition of sheds, glasshouses and other ancillary structures on site; v) the construction of 8 no. new student accommodation apartment blocks ranging in height from 3 to 5 storeys; vi) the construction of a 3 storey mixed-use building with commercial/retail use at groundfloor level and student accommodation on the upper floors; and vii) all associated ancillary development works including vehicular/pedestrian access and pedestrian crossing on to Convent Avenue, new footpaths and raised table at the junction of Convent Avenue and Sunday’s Well Road, landscaping, amenity and open space areas, boundary treatments, bicycle and car parking, bin storage, 2 no. ESB substations, public lighting and all other ancillary development at the Former Good Shepherd Convent, Convent Avenue and Buckston Hill, Sunday’s Well, Cork. The proposed development consists of works to and within the curtilage of the former Good Shepherd Convent, which is a protected structure (Ref. No. PS721). The proposed development also consists of works to the exterior of structures which are located within the Sunday’s Well Architectural Conservation Area. An Environmental Impact Assessment Report (EIAR) has been submitted to the planning authority with the application. The Environmental Impact Assessment Report will be available for inspection or purchase at a fee not exceeding the reasonable cost of making a copy during office hours at the offices of the Local Authority. The application may be inspected online at the following website set up by the applicant: www.goodshepherdlrd.ie
Core Planning Reasoning
The proposal was recommended for grant as it provides much-needed purpose-built student accommodation on appropriately zoned lands (ZO 01), facilitates the restoration and reuse of fire-damaged Protected Structures, and adheres to national policies for compact growth and sustainable urban development.
Decision Maker's Conclusion
- The development is consistent with the land-use zoning objectives and successfully balances the intensification of a brownfield site with the preservation of sensitive landscape and heritage assets.
- While the proposed density of 125 uph exceeds the specific target of 80 uph in the City Development Plan, it is justified under the 2024 National Compact Settlements Guidelines for urban neighborhoods.
- The restoration of the principal facades of the Protected Structures provides a long-term positive physical and visual impact, securing the future of significant architectural heritage that is currently in a state of terminal decline.