Cloheen Developments Ltd have made public their plans for a large-scale residential development in Clonakilty, consisting of 246 houses and a creche to accommodate 65 children.
The development is on 8.09 hectares of land to the south of the town, across three fields west of the Clonakilty Park Hotel, and south of the agricultural grounds.
Planning was previously granted in 2007 in the area for 55 houses, but revised on foot of an An Bord Pleanála appeal.
The houses are mostly four and three-bedroom units, comprising 41 four-bedroomed homes, 90 three-bedroomed, 31 two-bedroom residences, three five-bedroom residences, and 12 single-bedroom sheltered housing units. There are also plans for two and one-bedroom apartments.
Of the 246 units, 50 will be dedicated to social housing: 15 two-bedroom houses, and 20 two-bedroom apartments. The remainder will be made up of one-bedroom apartments and three-bedroom houses.
Access to the development, should it be successful, will be via Bothar Na Pairce at the Clonakilty Park Hotel, and at Lady’s Cross.
Lands within the footprint of the plans are within the boundary of the Clonakilty Park Hotel, who gave their consent for the lands to be included in the planning application; likewise, a private individual who owns some of the lands also gave their consent.
According to Cork County Council’s own development plan, there is no capacity for further connections to the drinking water network in Clonakilty; there is, however, capacity to the wastewater network. Uisce Éireann have given a 'confirmation of feasibility' to the would-be developers, noting that the watermain network will need to be extended by about 90 metres on the western side, and another 225 metres of network upgrades will be needed as well. Uisce Éireann say that they currently have no plans to extend the network, and so the costs for this will be included in the connection fee. Likewise, about 450 metres of upgrades will be needed on the eastern side, and these upgrades would need to be funded by the applicant.
For a wastewater connection, about 105 metres of of the sewer network will need to be connected on the western side, and again the applicant will need to pay the costs as part of the connection fee. On the eastern side, the connection point is owned by a third party, and so permission would need to be obtained from them in order for Uisce Éireann to take in charge some aspects of the infratructure, and it will then be inspected: 'Any upgrade requirements identified at this stage will have to be funded by you the developer.'
A social community audit included with the planning documents projects Cork to be one of the fastest-growing areas in the state over the next 20 years, and that Clonakilty is a ‘key town’ with this regard. The audit also determined that both primary and secondary schools in the area will be able to cope with the increased population, however, there is a ‘deficiency in childcare spaces’. Cork County Council’s aim is to grow the population of the town to 6,162 people by 2028; the current population of Clonakilty is 5,112, with about 176 more houses in the vicinity of the town. According to the 2022 census, almost 18% of the town’s population is over 65, and 26% are under 18.
The planning application was submitted last week, and a decision is due by Cork County Council at the end of July.
