It’s great news for an ever-expanding Blarney, as Cork City Council has approved plans to bring over 300 new-build homes, a primary care centre, as well as new shops and restaurants to the town.
The council has approved plans lodged by Clockstrike Ltd for the second phase of the Ringwood development on the eastern edge of Blarney. This latest approval is part of a large, long-term project that aims to bring nearly 1,000 homes to the area.
The second phase of the development comprises 323 new homes split between houses, apartments and duplexes, a new primary care centre and the conversion of existing farm outbuildings. These outbuildings will house retail or pharmacy units as well as a new café/restaurant.
Of the 323 new units, 157 will be terraced or semi-detached houses with three-bed and four-bed options available. The apartments, which will be split between two, five-storey blocks, account for another 114 one and two-bed units, while the duplexes make up the remaining 52 units. These duplexes will be evenly split between two-bed and three-bed properties.
A CGI rendering of the new development
One of the key elements of this application is a new two-storey primary care centre that will include a GP service for local residents. With waiting lists at many GP practices across Cork already full, this new service will be a welcome boost for Blarney.
As part of the application, permission has also been granted for a new access roadway, pedestrian and cycling infrastructure, EV chargers, landscaping works, new public spaces and amenity areas for local residents.
Permission was granted subject to 56 planning conditions, despite several objections from local residents. One objection lodged by the Station Road Residents Association raised concerns about the scale and character of the development, its impact on local services, and unsustainable traffic congestion in the area as a result of the development
A CGI rendering of the new development
Another submission from Blarney United raised concerns that the development would put further pressure on the club, which is already operating over capacity. The club requested that additional all-weather pitches be included in the development to ease pressure, but it appears the council declined to include this request in the planning conditions.
The first phase of the Ringwood development delivered over 240 homes, and a new creche was approved in 2024. The developers first met with the city council in 2023 to discuss the development of up to 959 new homes in the area.
The developers say these new homes are being delivered “in tandem with upgrades to the local public transport network,” including plans for a new railway station. The Blarney Masterplan includes significant capacity increases on the Cork Area Commuter Rail network, including €164 million in funding for electrification and a new rail station at Blarney.
This latest approval comes as another exciting project in nearby Ballincollig was given the green light. Planning permission has been granted for a major new housing development in Ballincollig, bringing 300 new homes to the fast-growing town.
The large residential development in Carriganarra will join up nicely with the existing Heathfield estate, and once built, it will only be a stone’s throw away from the first stop of the Cork Luas line.