A Catholic diocese has been embroiled in a planning row with locals, with a pastoral centre it hoped to build at a landmark church in Cork rejected following opposition from residents.
The Diocese of Cork and Ross is hoping to build a three-storey pastoral centre containing offices, meeting rooms and communal facilities on lands it owns at The Church of the Descent of the Holy Spirit, Dennehy’s Cross, Model Farm Road, in Cork city.
The large church is a protected structure and “local landmark building”, known for its large dome roof and tall flanking side towers.
The proposed project sparked a backlash from the Dennehy’s Cross Action Group, which submitted a formal objection signed by 54 residents. It followed the diocese submitting a planning application for the pastoral hub last December.
“Regretfully, the neighbourhood of the church believes this structure proposed is gross and totally out of character for the area,” the objection said. “We regard this church and its curtilage as our church community ‘green space’ and residential amenity.
“This planning application is not a community initiative, but rather it’s the hierarchy of the church diocesan authorities imposing what is essentially a commercial office-type premises on us.
“We see it as the outsiders imposing what takes from our amenity values and open space and to the viewing of the church itself, which is a protected structure.”
The planning application was recently rejected by Cork City Council.
In the decision, planning authorities noted that the proposed development had failed to “respect the character and significance of the protected structure”.
“The proposed development would therefore have an adverse visual impact on the setting of the protected structure, would detract from local views of this landmark structure within the locality, and would seriously injure the visual amenities of the area,” they said.
Other individual objections were filed against the proposed building. Most of these listed concerns over blocking sunlight, the removal of green space, loss of privacy and the availability of parking.
A spokesman for the Catholic Diocese for Cork and Ross told the Irish Independent that it was “actively considering” an appeal of the rejection.
“This was actually a diocesan centre, a building that is being proposed which would serve all of the parishes, not just the one in Dennehy’s Cross,” he said.
“The hope is that it would be a resource building to provide training to a lot of people, lay people especially, as the church evolves into the future to help people to participate in leadership, ministry and a whole host of other roles in the diocese.
The bishop’s advisers and the trustees’ advisers have to make a decision now... but the project is still alive
“The reason this particular site was chosen was because it is owned by the diocese already, and it is very central and accessible from all the surrounding parishes and from the rural parts of the diocese.
“The concept of the pastoral centre is still active. The bishop’s advisers and the trustees’ advisers have to make a decision now in the light of the council’s refusal of permission as to what next steps might be taken. But the project is still alive.”
The pastoral centre would accommodate a range of functions, including education, youth ministry, safeguarding, communications and the Bishop’s office, according to a planning report seen by the Irish Independent.
The planning report also noted the project would look to include new green areas to compensate for the loss of the previous ones.
Dennehy’s Cross was recently the subject of a separate planning row.
In January, An Coimisiún Pleanála granted permission for a new multi-storey residential development and artisan food market at the long-vacant Dennehy’s Cross Garage, close to the Church.
The part three and part five-storey residential development will comprise 30 apartments.
The site is also set to be redeveloped into a complex with planning for a cafe/restaurant on the ground floor level and an artisan food market also approved.
The plans were lodged by Galway firm Dennehy’s Cross Construction Ltd, which is headed by Brian McHugh, Finian Hanley and Finn Hill, according to the Irish Examiner.
The plans were approved by Cork City Council in May 2024, but were met by opposition by the Dennehy’s Cross Action Group.
The group collected 124 signatures of local residents objecting to the scheme. It claimed the proposed structure, which it branded a “monstrosity”, was totally out of character with the area and would result in “a visual blight on this pleasant suburban streetscape”.
Despite the objections, An Coimisiún Pleanála approved the plans, granting permission with revised conditions for the development.
These included that no part of the ground floor retail unit shall be used as a hot-food or fast-food takeaway outlet, each residential unit shall be used as a single dwelling and not be sub-divided, and public lighting shall be provided along pedestrian routes through open spaces.