Blarney, Co. Cork

The Stoneview site of circa 72 Hectares / 178 Acres is located to the immediate north of Blarney, approx 10km from Cork City, and immediately adjacent to the Cork – Dublin – Limerick Railway line. The Masterplan for the new town was the subject of a partnership led Planning Application by two landowners to provide circa. 2,500 new residential units as part of a new sustainable Town Centre Development, based around the hub of a new Commuter Railway Station.

The western half of the site was the subject of the Masterplan and Planning Application. The proposed scheme incorporated a diversity of unit types – urban and suburban – apartments and private houses, in response to the housing need and demographic of the end users. In addition a number of non-residential projects were also included in the new town masterplan to support the new town, including Primary and Post Primary Schools, a Medical Centre, Community General Purpose Buildings for community facilities etc. – as per the Cork Local Area Plan for the Area.

The town plan and infrastructure was dictated by the topography of the site, which was south facing and sloped from north to south and east to west. The main access point to the site was determined by the existing overpass bridge from Blarney, and the town centre development focused on the new Railway Station.

The scheme was planned to provide a hierarchy of streetscapes / residential avenues, streets and closes – with site specific block / terrace and contemporary and innovative house designs for each location to ensure a diversity of house types and also the flexibility of future use. Clustered developments have been organised around a series of open spaces and landscaped environments to further foster sustainable communities and create new places of quality and unique character for the residents to live.

The local community and the Local Authority Planners were widely consulted prior to the Planning Application being submitted. The advancement of the scheme was ultimately subject to national roadwork upgrade being completed.

Michael Regan of EPCA was Director in Charge / Architect for this project whilst Managing Director of Reddy O’Riordan Staehli Architects