Cork City Council grants permission for 348-home scheme at Office at Farrandahadore More, Cork city

In context

It is the only housing scheme application Cork City Council has received in the past twelve months, against 1,561 nationally. Of the 3,032 such applications decided by councils in the past three years, 79% were granted.

What happens next

The applicant, or anyone who made a submission on the application, can appeal the decision to An Coimisiún Pleanála within four weeks of 20 August 2025. If no appeal is lodged, the council’s decision stands and a final grant issues. The applicant sought a 7-year permission, which sets how long they have to start the development.

The development description, as lodged

Verbatim from the Cork City Council register. This is the source for every figure in the story above.

For a 7-year Planning Permission for a Large-Scale Residential Development (LRD) at this site, with a total application site area of c. 2.61 ha, on undeveloped lands adjoining the ESB Networks DAC Office, at Farrandahadore More, Sarsfield Road, Wilton, Cork City. The development will provide 348 no. residential units, including 296 no. cost rental apartments, 16 no. 2 no. storey affordable for sale townhouses and 36 no. social housing apartments, and a c. 156 sq m childcare facility, with associated staff and servicing areas and all associated development. The site is bounded to the south by the ESB Wilton Offices and Depot, to the east by the Sarsfield Road, to the west by Cardinal Court and to the north by the St. Joseph's SMA Wilton Parish Centre. The development, with a total gross floor area of approximately c. 30,494 sq m, will consist of 16 no. 2 no. storey, 3-bedroom townhouses and 332 no. apartment units (152 no. 1-bedroom apartments, 168 no. 2-bedroom apartments, 12 no. 3-bedroom apartments) arranged in 3 no. Apartment blocks. The easternmost block is 6 no. storeys in height (c. 5,912 sq m). The central block (c. 11,790 sq m) ranges in height from 5-6 no. storeys, including parking at ground floor podium level, with the c. 156 sq m childcare facility also provided at ground floor level. The westernmost block (c. 10,969 sq m) is proposed to range from 5 - 6 no. storeys in height, including parking at ground floor podium level. The proposed development also provides public (c. 3,545 sq m) and communal (c. 1,487 sq m) open space, including provision of podium gardens in the central and western apartment blocks. Provision is made in the landscaping proposals for potential future pedestrian connections that would facilitate permeability through the site to adjoining lands to the western boundary, subject to agreement with those parties and/or Cork City Council, as appropriate. The proposed vehicular, cycle and pedestrian access into the development is via a reconfigured shared access with the ESB facility to the southeast, via a controlled junction on Sarsfield Road. This reconfiguration includes changes to the existing boundary treatments and gates to the ESB site, relocation of security barriers and an existing prefabricated security kiosk (c. 9 sq m) within the ESB site. The existing gated vehicular entrance to the site on the eastern boundary to Sarsfield Road will be reconfigured to provide cycle and pedestrian only access. Pedestrian access is