Wed Sep 18 15:14:00 UTC 2024: ## Bessborough Development Plan Rejected Again: Survivors Feel Vindicated

**Cork, Ireland – September 18, 2024** – An Bórd Pleanála (Irish Planning Board) has once again refused planning permission for a residential development on the grounds of the former Bessborough mother and baby home in Cork. This comes as a victory for survivors of the home, who have been campaigning against development on the site, citing the potential presence of unmarked graves.

The proposed €40 million scheme by developers MWB Two involved the construction of 92 apartments on a parcel of land owned by the company. The board’s decision upholds a previous refusal by Cork City Council in January 2023.

This is the second time the planning appeals board has blocked MWB Two’s plans for residential development on the Bessborough estate. In 2021, a larger scheme was rejected due to concerns about a potential children’s burial ground on the site, a discovery backed by historical maps and the findings of the Commission of Investigation into Mother and Baby Homes.

The board’s latest decision states that no new evidence has been presented to challenge the 2021 findings, and that the potential for human remains on the proposed development site remains a concern.

The Cork Survivors and Supporters Alliance, representing survivors of the Bessborough home, welcomed the decision. They believe this ruling demonstrates that Irish society is committed to addressing the legacy of infant death and burial at the site.

The board also criticized the proposed development’s design and scale, finding it incompatible with the historic landscape surrounding Bessborough House, a protected structure.

MWB Two has confirmed receipt of the decision but has not yet commented on its future plans.

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