Re: Patrick Street

CCC have granted permission to Irish Nationwide to convert number 34 St. Patrick’s Street (with frontage onto Cook St.; currently vacant) to banking use and join the ground floor unit up with its current base at number 33.Extensive cahnges are to be made at upper levels for office use.
This follows years of applications concerning 33, 34 and 35 (former Burgerland, now Monsoon) as Irish Nationwide tried to expand their premises. The council’s insistance that the conversion of retail to financial on the street was unwelcome was the main stumbling block.
In submissions, concerns were raised that the door at number 34 be retained in the development, as there is ‘good reason’ to believe that it is the original 1920’s entrance. It was also argued that there has been no changes to the development plan since the last refusal and the conversion from retail to financial should not be allowed.
Indeed, the planners report reccomended refusal on the grounds thatthe development would “result in the loss of a preferred retail use on the prime retail frontage in the City Centre“.
As is becoming all too familiar, senior planners and managers within Cork City Council have taken the decision to ignore the advice of their planners. The planners are not perfect, but at least they adhere to democratically established development plans!
The development was granted with conditions which rule out the proposed limestone shopfronts and retain the existing painted cement-rendered front and 1920’s doorway. Importantly, the ‘zig-zag’ detail which survives on no.33 around the doors and windows is to be replicated at no. 34. It was present on number 34 before being rendered over at some stage.
So, maybe a defeat for proper planning, but at least they paid some attention to the architectural merit of the building by refusing the boring new limestone shopfront and conserving the original features.