147 new apartments get the green light in the city centre
Planning permission has been granted for 147 new cost rental and social apartments on Anglesea Terrace in the city centre.
It will be built on a site at the junction of Old Station Road and the South Link Road, within walking distance of all city centre amenities, retail and community services, Kent Station and Cork Bus Station.
The development will consist of 147 apartments, including 72 one-bed apartments and 75 two-bed apartments, and will range from four to 16 storeys. It will include 242 metres squared of retail space, with one café or restaurant and two office or retail units.
A communal space will be provided for residents including an external courtyard and a gated park with access restricted to residents.
The development will also include upgrade works to the footpath at Old Station Road, an eastern pedestrian link to include a new footpath along the South Link Road, and a set down area at Anglesea Terrace.
There will also be ancillary site works including the provision of bicycle parking, boundary treatments, public lighting, landscaping, and signage.
Existing structures will be demolished to make way for the scheme, including four buildings, boundary walls, the removal of an existing car park, and all associated site clearance works.
Cork City Council approved the plans for the development on Anglesea Terrace at a recent meeting. The proposal sparked debate in a recent council meeting after Independent Cllr Albert Deasy said the development would lead to “sub-standard accommodation”, a remark which drew criticism from his colleagues.
A report provided to councillors recently responded to several issues raised during the public consultation phase of the development, including the lack of parking.
“The proposed development has been intentionally designed as a car-free scheme in accordance with national and local policy, including Sustainable Urban Housing: Design Standards for New Apartments (2025), which supports the removal of private car parking in large-scale residential developments in highly accessible urban areas,” it said.
Phelim O’Neill, Director of Development at the Land Development Agency (LDA), which will deliver the development, said the agency had worked carefully on the design for the site, before putting forward “a strong set of plans for a high-quality development”.
“Anglesea Terrace is a fantastic site with great potential. When realised, this underutilised brownfield site will become high quality affordable housing that can act as a catalyst for rejuvenation in the local community and create a positive societal impact for Cork city,” he said.
The development is one of a number of developments the LDA has ongoing in Cork.
It is also set to deliver the first of 267 homes at the site of the former St Kevin’s Hospital in Shanakiel later this year. It also received planning for 345 homes at a former ESB site in Wilton in August 2025.
A further 302 apartments are being developed at Horgan’s Quay, while another 337 are set to be delivered at Marina Depot. The Industrial Development Agency has also agreed to transfer land in Kilbarry with the potential for 1,000 homes.
This article was produced with the support of the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme funded by Coimisiún na Meán.