If there’s one thing Cork needs right now it’s homes.

And there’s some good news on that front this morning; the Land Development Agency (LDA) has received planning permission to develop 266 homes, an enterprise centre and creche facilities at the former St. Kevin’s Hospital site in Shanakiel, Cork.

The development, which will overlook the River Lee, is located 2.5km to the west of Cork City Centre and will consist of a mix of townhouses and duplex apartments including one, two, three- and four-bedroom homes.

While the tenure mix is yet to be confirmed by the Government the primary focus of the development will be social and affordable housing and the majority of houses will fit those criteria.

“Our vision is for a community that provides for a mix of ages and a mix of needs,” said LDA CEO John Coleman.

“Our primary focus will be social and affordable housing and I expect this to be reflected in the ultimate make-up of the St. Kevin’s development.

“This is the second LDA project to achieve planning permission and is our first in Cork. From a standing start, we are successfully moving a pipeline of projects forward with the goal of creating a steady supply of new housing on state land. We look forward to continuing to work with local representatives and other stakeholders in progressing this important project to completion.”

Sustainable energy is a key feature of the proposed development, which will have over twice as many spaces for bicycles as cars. Work on-site will begin as soon as possible with the first homes available by 2023.