The first phase of a multi-million euro Cork housing development is set to kick off this week.
The construction of 86 houses costing €17.8 million in Mallow, Co Cork will begin on Thursday, January 27.
The first phase will see the building of 20 houses and associated site works, covering house numbers 10 to 29.
The 3.8 hectare site located on the edge of town in Annabella will see the development of 58 two-and-a-half storey four-bedroom homes (semi detached), 14 two-storey three-bedroom homes (semi detached) and eight two-storey three-bedroom homes (terraced).
Around three open spaces and two playgrounds were also proposed for the area.
Planning permission was first granted by Cork County Council in October of 2016 after developer Canonbridge lodged plans in 2015.
Earlier that year, the council had thrown out an application for 86 houses (scaled down from the original 102) and a creche originally submitted by developers.
An Bord Pleanála granted permission with conditions for the current plan in April 2017 after a third party appeal was lodged by D. and M. McEntee of Mallow.
Among the reasons put forward by the appealing party, they included claims that the housing development would have led to an “exacerbation of traffic problems” and would impede on the habitat of bats in a woodland north of the site.
In ABP’s decision, it found in the ecologist report that the site at Annabella has “limited areas of habitat that bats favour due to risk of predation”.
They also stated that the application is supported by a traffic and transportation assessment (TTA) carried out by MHL & Associates Ltd. Consulting Engineers and a Road Safety Audit (RSA).
Permission was granted by ABP under conditions which included the developers paying a financial contribution of €187,446 “in respect of public infrastructure and facilities”.
A further sum of € 86,000 was required of the developers as a special contribution to the provision of a roundabout at the L1203 (Kennell Hill) /N72 /L9000 junction and relocation and upgrade of the N70/N72 (Annabella) roundabout.
