A group who appealed a decision by Cork City Council to grant planning permission to a €135 million hotel development in the city have welcomed a decision by An Bord Pleanála to limit the scale of the development.
Archaeologist, Barra Ó Donnabhain was one of a group of 12 citizens who appealed the decision by the council to grant planning permission to Riga Limited for the construction of a 182 bedroom hotel and 303 residential units on Western Road in Cork.
Owen O'Callaghan is one of the directors of Riga Ltd and the deal involved Jurys Doyle Hotels selling the site to Riga Ltd who will develop the hotel and the apartments and then lease the hotel back to Jurys Doyle over a 35 year period.
The development proposal involved the demolition of the existing Jurys Doyle Hotel and its replacement with the new six storey high 182 bedroom hotel as well as the construction of five blocks of apartments ranging in height from three to nine storeys.
The council granted the planning but ordered that the number of residential units/apartments be reduced from 303 to 277 while it also ordered the reduction of two six storey blocks to four storeys and the reduction of another six story block to three storeys.
An Bord Pleanála has granted permission for the development but with a number of conditions attached including the dropping of the proposed nine storey apartment block and the reduction of a four storey block to three.
Mr Ó Donnabhain said: "We're not entirely disappointed with the decision, we appealed the council's granting of planning permission as concerned citizens, our main problem was with the scale of the development and how it would obscure the view of St Fin Barre's Cathedral.
"We welcome the decision not to grant planning for the nine storey tower block and we also welcome the decision to reduce a four storey block to three, it means that there will at least be an occasional view of St Fin Barre's from the Western Road.
A spokesman for Riga Ltd said the were satisfied with the decision despite losing one block and a net total of 35 apartments.