While our client welcomes the increased flexibility in terms of land uses that a mixed-use zoning would facilitate compared to the adopted Business and Technology zoning, it is submitted that the range of permissible uses for the proposed Mixed-Use zoning will not enable the necessary sustainable expansion of Mahon Point Shopping Centre for retail purposes as retail is not listed as a permissible use under this zoning.
Therefore, district centre expansion or an amendment to the mixed-use zoning objective is required to specifically mention that retail is acceptable in principle. It may be that the Council consider an amendment to mixed use zonings that retail is explicitly
permitted in principle where these zones are located within or directly adjacent to defined shopping centres
In this context, this submission requests that Cork City Council give serious consideration to either:
a. The extension of the District Centre zoning to include the overflow car park site; or
b. The inclusion of the overflow car park within a Mixed-Use zoning for which a wide range of uses will be acceptable in principle, including specifically retail development.