Untitled - Cork City Council

Cork Strategic Retail Study
3.15 To the west of Mahon is the large suburban centre of Douglas, which includes Douglas
Court and Douglas Village shopping centres as well as the traditional shopping area -
Douglas old village. Collectively they comprise 7,700m 2 of comparison goods
floorspace and 4,585m 2 of convenience floorspace. There is also 6,905m 2 net of retail
warehousing at the Woollen Mills.
3.16 Since 2002, Douglas has not expanded at all although there are planning permissions
for around 3,600m 2 net of comparison floorspace and 750m 2 net of convenience.
Rents in the Douglas Village Shopping Centre are €1,300 / sqm and in Douglas Court
are €750 / sqm; both of these have increased over 40% since 2002.
3.17 Douglas is a popular and accessible shopping destination and there is high demand
from retail occupiers. However, there is a high volume of traffic, the two areas of the
centre are disconnected and the shopping environment is poor. There is a long term
aspiration to reconfigure the roads and combine the two parts of the centre by building
between them - mixed use redevelopment with high quality urban design may be the
most suitable option.
3.18 Also to the south east, on Skehard Road in Blackrock, there is a large self-standing
SuperValu store.
3.19 In the south-western suburbs, the largest centre is Wilton. This is a covered shopping
centre comprising 2,715m 2 of comparison goods floorspace and 3,865m 2 of
convenience floorspace floorspace. Since 2002, the centre has been extended and a
Tesco store has opened – this now anchors the centre. There are no outstanding
planning permissions. Previously, the centre was anchored by a Roches store but this
has now closed and this element is in need of redevelopment – more intensive, mixed
use development may be appropriate. Rents in Wilton are €1,200 / sqm and have
increased by over 50% since 2002.
3.20 To the north of the City, the largest suburb is now Blackpool. This provides 3,960m 2 of
comparison goods floorspace and 1,930m 2 of convenience floorspace. The centre is
anchored by a large Dunnes store retailing convenience and comparison goods. Since
2002 over 7,000sqm net of retail warehousing has been developed and there are
planning permissions for further comparison and convenience floorspace.
3.21 Rents are currently only €645 / sqm, lower than at Mahon Point, Douglas and Wilton.
However, there is market demand for new retail development and there is considerable
scope if the Council wish to take this approach. However, mixed use development
would be the most desirable, and any new schemes would need to be combined with
traffic improvements to ease congestion. Blackpool has good public transport links and
a rail station is planned.
Neighbourhood Centres
3.22 Ballyvolane and Hollyhill in the north function as neighbourhood centres providing
principally for day-to-day convenience goods needs. Both centres are anchored by
large foodstores. Ballyvolane contains 2,145m 2 of comparison goods floorspace and
2,685m 2 of convenience floorspace. Hollyhill is smaller with only 200m 2 of comparison
goods floorspace and 910m 2 of convenience floorspace.
3.23 Bishopstown Court, Bishopstown and Togher in the south-west also function as
neighbourhood centres. Bishopstown Court is located by the Bandon Road
roundabout and provides 2,095m 2 of comparison goods floorspace and 975m 2 of
convenience floorspace with a small, somewhat dated Dunnes store.
3.24 Nearby Bishopstown is a more modern, free-standing Dunnes superstore providing
1,260m 2 of comparison goods floorspace and 1,080m 2 of convenience floorspace.
There is permission to extend this centre by 2,000sqm net, which will all be
comparison floorspace.
Roger Tym & Partners with Simon Clear & Associates
March 2008 15