Developments in Cork

A decision is due on Frinailla’s City Library development today.

He’s doing a bit better than Ned O’Keeffe who has accused the government and local Fianna Fail TDs of lying.

Erm, Ned, that would be you…

From the front page of today’s Cork Independent.
Environment Minister opposes plans for new Central Library

EXCLUSIVE by David Forsythe

PLANS to redevelop Cork’s Central Library on Grand Parade could be in jeopardy following a strongly worded recommendation from ‘ the Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government opposing a plan for a mixed used development by Frinailla Developments on the site that will include a new library building.
In a hard-hitting letter to City Manager Joe Gavin and Frinailla Developments the Department states that, “It is highly likely that the development as proposed will have a major impact on archaeological remains surviving both above and below present ground level.”
The recommendation also states,
“We have serious concerns about the proposal as presented. No attempt has been made by the developer to minimize the impact of this development on archaeological material”.
It says that the mixed use proposal is contrary , to both local and national planning guidelines, will I obliterate a remaining section of the City Wall and is situated above “a hugely significant part of the city, with surviving Hiberno Norse settlement of national significance on a par with material recovered from Wood Quay, Dublin and Waterford city excavations”.
The Department also recommends the retention of the 1929 City library and 56 Grand Parade, both of which are on the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage and of which will be demolished for the new development.
According to the Department, “In our opinion, the development in its current form would have an adverse effect on the architectural heritage of Cork city centre and is out of scale with, and unsympathetic to, the existing historic built environment
“We would therefore recommend the consideration of alternative proposals for this site which would allow for the sensitive adaptation and reuse of the existing structures and the conservation of existing street-scapes”.
A spokesperson for the Minister pointed out to the Cork Independent that, “It’s important to note that the development in question is not just a library, but a large commercial development too.
“It should also be noted that the Minister does not have power to block a planning application, he is a statutory consultee only.
“The Minister can make comments and suggestions to the local authority in the hope that they will take his views on board. If they don’t, and grant permission anyway, he can appeal through An Bord Pleanala.”
Frinailla Development’s Grand Parade Plaza proposal includes a new 5,640 sq m library, twice the size of the current one along with offices, retail and residential developments.
The recommendation from the Department indicates a much more critical attitude to planning issues under Green Party Minister John Gormley than under his predecessor Dick Roche.
Cork City Council were contacted for comment but had not responded by time of press.

@Pug wrote:

is this an “exclusive” or did the reporter just go on to the city council website, check the plans and read the submission from the dept of the environment?

Submissions was made on Tuesday smartass

@corkindo wrote:

Submissions was made on Tuesday smartass

descend slowly from your high horse there now lad and “rein” in your sarcasm – i was talking about the submission made on the 14th Sept and acknowledged on the 24th sept, by the Dept., which broadly echoes exactly what was reported in the paper about that part of the city being extremely old, parts of the city wall possibly being still in the city library and archaelogical remains to be considered carefully- that is all

Speculation is rife that the Mercy Hospital and the South Infirmary Hospital are to merge on a new site. A planned press conference at lunchtime in the City should shed some light on the subject. Three sites mooted as the new hospital location are:
Blarney
Sarsfield Court
Docklands.

A number of rumours link Howard Holdings with the docklands site.
Whoever does the deal will obtain two massive ciy centre hospital sites for future mixed use development (although both with serious restrictions due to heritage matters).

@jungle wrote:

Just after they’ve built the breast check facility next to the South Infirmary :rolleyes:

I hope it’s a Docklands site as I’d like to see a hospital retained somewhere fairly centrally.

Any merger and move would have to take at least a decade, so the hospitals will have to develop until then.
Agreed, a docklands site would be my favourite too.

@mickeydocs wrote:

A city centre location makes more sense with regards to accessibility.

Agreed, but in the absence of any city centre site available to accomodate both hospitals on the same site, a docklands site would seem to be the next best option. It could also have considerable advantages with regard to access.
Blarney and Sarsfield Court would be disasterous moves for the City, especially the Northside. The Mercy is the closest thing the Northside has to a local hospital.

I’d suggest its better to keep these hospitals as close to the City as possible. Sarsfield Court and Blarney are just to out of the way.
It will do no harm for the Docklands development either.