23/5147
10-year planning permission for the construction of rock armour revetment protection and reclamation of the foreshore on lands adjacent to the Cork Harbour Marina, Strand Road, Monkstown, Co. Cork, to provide the following: a) Construction of a two storey marina building to include a public restaurant/café, public and private offices, convenience store, chandlery, lounge/training area, and ancillary spaces including service and changing areas and storage spaces; b) Construction of a single storey gym and rowing facility building including changing rooms, ancillary support spaces and public toilet; c) Construction of single storey bird hide, 3 no. flagpoles and associated signage; d) Provision of 1 no. floating electrical vessel recharging facility and 1 no. floating vessel refueling facility and associated gangways, e) All ancillary associated works including demolition of sections of the existing seawall to provide for a new vehicular entrance from the R610-113 strand road and 4 no. pedestrian/bicycle entrances from the adjacent public footpath/permitted greenway, public and private car parking, campervan and bicycle parking, internal road network, pedestrian footpaths and public seating areas, landscaping and associated site services. A Natura Impact Statement will be submitted to the planning authority with the application.
Core Refusal Reason
Significant negative impact on the Monkstown Creek proposed Natural Heritage Area (pNHA) due to lack of mitigation and failure to consider alternatives.
Decision Maker's Conclusion
- The proposed rock armour revetment would result in significant negative effects on the Monkstown Creek proposed Natural Heritage Area.
- The applicant failed to provide meaningful mitigation measures or evidence that alternative design solutions were considered to minimize environmental impact.
- The development is fundamentally at odds with the biodiversity and heritage protection objectives of the Cork County Development Plan 2022-2028.