The developers of a £35 million shopping and leisure development on the outskirts of Cork city have withdrawn their appeal to An Bord Pleanala against a decision by Cork County Council last December to refuse them outline planning permission. But Centrepoint and Dunnes Stores yesterday indicated they intended to lodge a new planning application for the construction of the flagship shopping centre and leisure facilities at Dunkettle roundabout. The decision to withdraw the appeal follows a request by An Bord Pleanala for an Environmental Impact Study and a Retail Impact Assessment.
The proposal for the 19-acre site - which is zoned for commercial and retail use - included a hotel, cinema/conference centre, leisure/gym centre, petrol filling station, restaurant and car park as well as 150,000 square feet of retail. An Bord Pleanala also expressed concern about possible traffic hazards caused by the scale of the shopping development and its proximity to the main Dunkettle roundabout and interchange with the new £66 million Lee Tunnel. It's understood the board was concerned there would not be sufficient weave space between the entry/exit to the shopping complex and the roundabout. It's believed the new application may be completed within three to six months. Among the options it is likely to look at to overcome the traffic hazard is a scaling down of the shopping space as well as alternative access routes to the centre.