Plans for a €300 million project incorporating a new city library for Cork have been strongly criticised by the Department of the Environment on the grounds that the plan fails to take account of the rich archaeological heritage of the area.
The department has written to Cork City Council outlining its opposition to the proposal by Frinilla Developments for a site on the Grand Parade which includes taking over the existing 25,000 sq ft library and replacing it with a 50,000-plus sq ft building.
The proposed new library is part of a development by Frinilla which also includes 160,000 sq ft of offices, 100,000 sq ft of shopping, basement car parking and overhead apartments on a half-hectare site. A planning decision on the scheme is due next month.
The council had sought proposals from developers on how they would develop the site on the Grand Parade, including proposals to build a new library on the site of the existing building, and Frinilla Development's submission was deemed the best option. However, the department has pointed out in a letter to the council that the proposed development lies within the medieval core area of Cork city and would impact negatively on the area's rich archaeological heritage.
"There are major concerns, as it is highly likely that the development, as proposed, will have a major impact on archaeological remains surviving both above and below present ground level," the letter stated.
The department raised concerns that walls of some of the buildings due to be demolished might conceal walls of older buildings and it pointed to the inclusion of part of the city wall within the former Grand Parade Hotel.
Cork City Manager Joe Gavin said that the council was aware of the archaeological implications of the project on the area. If permission was granted, he added, the council would attach conditions requiring the developer to take appropriate measures.