A welcome housing boost for the town

A CGI rendering of the new apartments (Image: West City LRD )

Planning permission is being sought for a large-scale residential development in Ballincollig, which would bring 130 new homes to one of Cork’s largest towns.

The application lodged by Castle Peak Properties Ltd outlines plans for 108 new apartments and 22 duplex units at the former Dell EMC site, which ceased operations back in 2021 and has remained vacant since. The development would involve demolishing the existing industrial unit and clearing the site before beginning work on a row of homes and two apartment blocks, ranging in height from three to six stories.

If these plans are approved, the blocks will contain a total of 52 one-bed and 56 two-bed apartments, and the 22 duplex units will be a mix of one-, two- and three-bed homes. The development, dubbed West City, will also include a communal public green space, underground car and bicycle parking, electric vehicle chargers, and all other associated site works.

The former Dell EMC site in Ballincollig (Image: Google Maps)

The developers say the project aims to “deliver a diverse housing mix within a sustainable urban form” to support the continued growth of Ballincollig. The site has been zoned for new housing under the Cork City Development Plan, and the homes would be within comfortable walking distance of schools, shops and other key amenities.

The plans have been lodged with Cork City Council, and a decision on the development is expected by April 16.

This follows the council’s approval of another large-scale residential development at the former site of the Bessborough Mother and Baby Home in Blackrock, a decision that drew fierce condemnation from survivors. There have been several planning applications lodged at the controversial Bessborough site near Blackrock over the years, with survivor groups consistently objecting. The mother and baby home closed in 1998, but the site is still a painful reminder of the trauma many Cork families experienced there.

The latest application was approved by Cork City Council on Tuesday, with the planning department cutting the height of one of the tower blocks to four stories and ordering the omission of Block C, which would have contained 34 additional apartments. A total of 140 new units were proposed in the original plans, with the number now hovering around 100.

The council ordered that any soil excavated from the property be spread out and examined for bone fragments, coffin timbers, coffin nails, and other evidence that may indicate the presence of a burial site. Should any human remains be discovered, all work on the development will cease, and crews are obligated to report the find to the relevant authorities, including Gardaí.

Objections to the plans were submitted by survivor groups, and in recent days, Tánaiste Simon Harris said he was ‘deeply uneasy’ about the plans for the site in an interview with Cork’s 96FM.

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