New supermarket proposal submitted for Ballyvolane retail site

A planning application for a major new retail development has been lodged for a 4.2‑acre site in Ballyvolane, north Cork.

Grocery Capital Partners Ltd submitted the proposal this week for a supermarket of 2,496 sq m (c 27,000 sq ft) on the upper level, together with a coffee shop and two additional retail units in the undercroft. The development would provide basement parking for 144 cars and replace a private road serving four homes with a new two‑way road, also linking to the planned Northern Distributor Road.

The site lies between the existing Lidl supermarket on Ballyhooly Road and the O’Flynn Group’s Arderrow housing development. It follows rapid residential growth in the suburb, where Longview Estates has been granted permission for 753 homes and is awaiting a decision on a further 248‑unit application.

Developers such as Michael O’Flynn and O’Leary O’Sullivan have also been active in the area, delivering hundreds of homes. The new retail scheme could attract a national grocery operator and is seen as a boost for the northside, according to Lisney commercial agent Ger O’Callaghan.

Potential impact

The project’s access to the Northern Distributor Road is considered crucial for unlocking further housing development, which could total over 14,000 new homes in the wider Ballyvolane east and west expansion area by 2040.

Source: Irish Examiner. Photo: Craig Adderley / Pexels.