A vital housing development on the Northside of Cork city has been delayed by five months because bats are currently breeding on the site.
Initial surveys of the site in 2020 identified bats roosting at the location, and one of the planning conditions was that any disturbance to the bats would have to be agreed on the advice of an ecologist.
This now means that the much needed development at St.Kevins will have to be postponed by at least five months leaving 27 new homes for the already pressed people of Cork City on hiatus.
In a note given to the Oireachtas housing committee, the LDA said that works are due to commence on-site this September having been delayed since April due to a “bat breeding issue”.
According to the Irish Examiner, the note also refers to St Kevin’s as a “challenging site” as it has “extensive protected structures, has steep slopes, and has numerous invasive plant species.”
In response local Sinn Fein TD Tomas Goud has said “They knew this could have an impact on the site,” he said. “This should have been factored into their plans but has instead resulted in a five-month delay to a project that has already taken decades to complete.
“There is absolutely no question that wildlife must be preserved but this should have been planned for.
“It took the LDA 12 months from receipt of planning permission to be ready to move on the site. This move was then delayed by a further five months.”
The news comes as 450 homeless people in Cork city are still waiting for a roof over their heads.
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