23/5223
The construction of an office building comprising 20,150 sq.m. of office floorspace comprising a generally 3 to 10 storey building with a parking area and publicly accessible food court on the ground floor with options for the sub-division of the office building and all associated ancillary development works including access, footpaths, set-down area, parking, drainage, landscaping, plant at roof level of each building section with provision for roof garden on 4 storey wings, bin store and electrical sub-station/switch room with vehicular access from Euro Business Park and public pedestrian access from Ballytrasna Park Road.
Core Planning Reasoning
The proposed development is located within a strategic employment location in Metropolitan Cork and is consistent with the 'ZU 18-10' zoning objective in the Cork County Development Plan 2022-2028. The revised design, which reduced the building height to 3-6 storeys and established appropriate separation distances, ensures that the development constitutes an acceptable quantum of office space without significantly injuring the residential amenities of the nearby Fairways estate or causing unsustainable traffic impacts.
Decision Maker's Conclusion
- The principle of office development is acceptable given the site's zoning for employment-related uses and its proximity (c. 400m) to a high-capacity rail station, supporting the integration of land use and public transport.
- The revised height of 3-6 storeys is considered a moderate and appropriate increase for the area, with sufficient separation distances (c. 23m-35m) to ensure no significant overbearing or overshadowing impacts on adjacent residential properties.
- Traffic and parking proposals (70 car spaces) are consistent with the Little Island Transport Study (LITS) and promote a sustainable modal shift, while the proposed SuDS measures effectively mitigate local flooding and wastewater capacity concerns.