Cork city manager Joe Gavin yesterday said he remained hopeful a company behind a proposed €80 million dockside development in Cork would come up with suitable proposals after part of the scheme was refused planning permission by the city council.
Limerick developer Werdna Ltd had sought planning permission for a 304-apartment development incorporating a 17-storey tower block on a four-acre site off Water Street near Horgan's Quay on the northern bank of the Lee.
The application, which was made in February this year, represented an amended proposal by the company, which had originally sought permission for some 400 apartments in May 2004.
Werdna's revised application, in addition to reducing the number of apartments from 400 to 304, also set back the buildings by a further four to six metres from the quayside to allow for a 10m wide amenity zone along the river's edge, culminating in a plaza.
It also involved increasing the amount of commercial activity around the enlarged plaza, and reducing the height of the tower block by some three metres to 55.8 metres and relocating it to the eastern end of the 220m-long quayside site.
But now council planners have granted planning permission for just part of the revised application, including around half of the proposed 304 apartments, underground car-parking, and an access road off Water Street.
Council planners have attached conditions to the remaining half of the development. They also refused permission for the tower block as currently designed.
Mr Gavin said the council remained committed to the development.