The Land Development Agency (LDA) and IDA Ireland have reached an agreement on the transfer of a 41 hectare site at Kilbarry in Cork city which has the potential to deliver 1,000 homes.
The land forms part of the North Blackpool Kilbarry Expansion Area, one of the key locations identified to accommodate the growth requirements of Cork city to 2040.
The greenfield site has historically been earmarked for industrial use by IDA Ireland. However, following a review as part of the Cork City Development Plan 2022-28, the site is now zoned for residential use.
IDA Ireland facilitated the LDA in identifying the site as a suitable location for a housing development, complementing IDA Ireland’s development lands to the south.
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The site lies to the north of Kilbarry Enterprise Park and sits beside Delany Rovers GAA Club. Blackpool Village and Blackpool Shopping Centre are located less than two kilometres away.
The LDA has appointed a design team for the project and intends to undertake a comprehensive public consultation process on emerging proposals in advance of any planning application. It hopes to present a planning application in 2027.
Those proposals will also be informed by the emerging framework plan for the area that is being prepared by Cork City Council. The LDA says that the new homes will benefit from planned transformational infrastructure projects, including the Cork Northern Distributor Multi-Modal Route, which will traverse the site and Blackpool-Kilbarry Rail Station further to the south.
Taoiseach Micheál Martin TD said that delivering 1,000 new homes in Cork city would be a significant step forward.
“It will provide families and individuals with the opportunity to live in modern, sustainable communities close to jobs, schools and amenities,” he said. “This will ease housing pressures, support local economic growth and enhance quality of life for people across our city.”
Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, James Browne, said his department had made sure that State bodies were aware of the need to transfer state-owned land to the LDA and had supported the Agency in securing a series of sites that are now being advanced for housing.
“The Government has provided significant levels of funding to the LDA, so it is in a position to secure and speedily develop large-scale housing projects on sites such as this,” Mr Browne said.
