Cork developments

Examiner reporting (not available online) that ABP have approved a planned increase of 413 apartments to 437 for above development. Also, plans for 103 bed aparthotel in South Terrace:

What are they putting into all the offices that are being built?

More movement on Creamfields/CMP site. Planning app for 4/7 storey primary care centre gone to CCC:

There is a lot of glass in the Docklands but it's mostly just the floor to ceiling height windows make them look like they're mostly glass boxes. Navigation Square isn't a glass box, it just has big windows, especially at the front. The sides are stone/concrete. 2/3 Horgan's Quay, currently being built, is going to be very similar to Navigation Square. Penrose Dock and the Lapp's Quay buildings are mostly stone and cladding. 1 Station Square (across from The Dean - which is also cladding) is going to be mostly dark brick when it's built. The Horgan's Quay apartments (1 Waterfront Square and 1 Station Square) are mostly buff brick, with white render on the hidden elevation of Railway Street. One Albert Quay is probably our only glass box, and I guess No. 1 Horgan's Quay. The Prism, Custom House Quay and the new Albert Quay tower are mostly glass, though, I will admit. However, more in the city centre, 85 South Mall and The Capitol are all mostly stone.

Almost all of the developments also include at least one retained building or feature. One Albert Quay has a really nice stone wall facing Albert House (https://goo.gl/maps/WumU9jupA6BiGupj6). Navigation Square retained Navigation House's facade and is retaining the (https://goo.gl/maps/85hr5Tq7VYFAKSxX6) Albert Road station walls for NSQ3. Penrose Dock has the steampacket building, The Dean has the Carriage Sheds, the Horgan's Quay offices have the Georgian house and Horgan's Quay apartments have the old house. Even Custom House Quay's tower will have the various sheds and houses retained. Those are the types of thing when you are on the ground walking around, not neccessarily the high up walls of glass. Kennedy Quay will have Odlums, a mixture of stone and glass buildings and probably other brick and concrete elements retained around the site

ABP have rejected this:

Seems to be nothing happening there everyday i pass.

Just what Douglas needs, another big supermarket nestled in between Dunnes and Aldi and a 2 minute walk from M&S and a 4 minute walk from the biggest Tesco in Cork. Brilliant stuff. Presumably another big car park coming with it?

The place is almost beyond saving at this point. Traffic clogged nightmare wil be its lasting legacy. The whole area is basically a massive car park.

I'm not sure that another supermarket will increase traffic - I suspect that there will be much the same traffic, now spread over an extra area.

I think Douglas has been a soulless shlthole with notions for decades, now. I don't see what one more supermarket will do,anymore than one new fast food outlet would do. It's been an outdoor mall for years now.

The small shops and butchers all disappeared because there was no where to park. Go back 30/40 years and you had cars parked along the west village… once that was removed the post office and shops were to difficult to get to. That’s why Daily’s became popular at the time you could easily get parking outside the door.

Even in the east village you could easily find parking and pop into centra, butchers or KC’s. But with the increase in housing and population in Douglas suburbs it was always going to change.

Wilton is fine if you're driving, really unfriendly if you're trying to get there by foot or bike. You take your life in your hands trying to cross the dual carriageway by the roundabout, and have to go a good distance out of your way to use a pedestrian crossing. At least Douglas has controlled crossings in a direct path from the city across (slightly) narrower roads, and traffic slows cars down so you're able to get through relatively easily on a bike.

I wonder was the problem the council refusing permission on the basis of it being visually big, which is subjective and easily dismissable by pointing out the shopping centre(s). ABP just needed to determine that wasn't a good reason, rather than counter any of the other points that could be made against the development.

I think you've hit the nail on the head in a kinda roundabout way.

The problem with Douglas is that virtually no one ever walks anywhere despite 1000s of people living within minutes walk from Douglas village.

I was lambasted and it was suggested that I was out of touch with reality when I suggested that someone on the Well Road could do their shopping on foot.

No one walks to Douglas and no one walks around Douglas except teenagers.

Call it what you want, there was a lovely centre to it not so long ago, I was very envious of Douglas back in the 90's, but since then, development in Douglas has been all about the car, and now it's far easier to drive to DC than it is to walk into one of the other stores. Plenty of other suburbs have nice shops, up my way in Mayfield there's nicer butchers (O'Connors), pubs (Cotton Ball) while still having Lidl, Aldi, SuperValu all within striking distance.

Meanwhile the Douglas main street is Subway, Paddy Power, and Boylesports. The parking is probably a big bit of it, people want too drive to get their groceries, and that's easier in Douglas Court or Douglas SC

I don't see the reality that Douglas can only be accessed by car. Douglas is not badly laid out for pedestrians.

Why do you say it can only be accessed by car? I'd genuinely like to know your reasons for saying this. I walk to and from Douglas from both the town side and the Rochestown side. Pedestrian layout isn't bad.

Work going on there during the week.

Ah ye are being hard on the place, I cycle to douglas and around it. There are at least two decent butchers there, one in each of the big shopping centres (Bresnan’s and the name of the other one escapes me) . That tailor/ alternations place (wisdom sewing) is the best one around. A variety of cafes and restaurants (12 tables, okura, palmento, pigs back, various noodle places and the pubs do pub grub.. loads of fast food ) there are a range of clothes shops, tk maxx, and those places for interiors… rugs, the arts and crafts place, interiosity? Toy shops, Cummins sports, O’Briens, chemists, garden center, The kilkenny shop , it has an M&S, Dealz, Tesco , dunnes.

There’s a market on a Thursday, phone shops, cex, stationary / newsagents, bakery.

there is a huge playground, Gary duff woods, schools, churches, sports grounds, huge gym, library. It’s one of the best hubs of any suburb of cork.

I think it is slightly off putting for bikes and foot traffic because it’s in a valley. Every route out is up hill. But with electric bikes these days it gets a lot easier.

Which one? There are numerous new buildings by the water. That said, some of the regulars in this forum think they all look crap so maybe you don’t need to be specific.

Not that it really matters but there is no such thing as Main Street in Douglas, it's East Douglas Street (and the other 'main street' is West Douglas Street)

It used to be simply referred to as "Douglas village" and the "back village"

I've heard people call the Douglas Road the "front Douglas Road"