In March 2018, McCutcheon Halley secured permission under the Strategic Housing Development (SHD) process for 608 no. residential units in a mix of apartments, duplexes and houses, a local centre including a creche, retail/retail services units, and a community centre/hall, as well as a site reservation for a primary school at Ballinglanna, Glanmire, Co. Cork (Case reference: PL04.300543). On the date of the decision, it was the largest housing scheme granted by An Bord Pleanala and the first SHD application for a residential/housing development granted outside of Dublin.

The site, located approximately 5km from Cork City, is considered to be strategic in terms of its potential to deliver a significant proportion of housing units, not only within the settlement of Glanmire but also within the wider Cork Metropolitan Area. Notwithstanding the zoning of the site for residential development since 2005, previous proposals for development of the site were unsuccessful owing to a failure to overcome the specific site constraints as well as heavy third-party opposition including multiple appeals and oral hearings.

Acting as Planning and Environmental Lead and Project Coordinator, MH Planning was responsible for all planning and environmental aspects of the project, from the revision of the site-specific zoning objective as part of the Local Area Plan review process, to the coordination of the design team and preparation of the planning application documentation, including an Environmental Impact Assessment Report (EIAR).

Key issues of the development proposal included:

• Design & Layout – MH Planning provided advice on the quantum of development to be accommodated within the site in an effort to maximise the development density in accordance with the relevant national guidance as well as the site-specific zoning objective, while also considering the challenges posed by the site’s many constraints including its steep gradient.
• Provision of Recreation/Amenity Facilities – Owing to the site’s topography and location adjacent to the M8, the provision of adequate recreation and amenity facilities posed a significant challenge, particularly with respect to the requirements outlined in Cork County Council Policy. Through consultation with the Council, the application provided a number of facilities spread throughout the site including a community/sports hall, multi-use games areas, play areas and a 3km long amenity trail.
• Traffic – The potential impact of traffic generated by the proposed development on both local and national road infrastructure, specifically the Dunkettle Interchange had formed part of the reasons for refusal in previous applications on the site. Close cooperation with Cork County Council and Transport Infrastructure Ireland, as well as the submission of a Traffic and Transport Assessment and Construction Traffic Management Plan, helped to identify the level of development that could be accommodated on site in tandem with the necessary upgrades to both the local and national road network which ensured MH Planning secured permission for the scheme in its entirety.

McCutcheon Halley are O’Flynn Construction’s retained planning consultants, not only for this project but also for many other largescale residential and mixed-use developments throughout the country. McCutcheon Halley have provided professional planning and environmental consultation services at all stages of this and other projects from inception and through the planning application process, as well as at appeal and/or compliance stages if required.