Wonderboy Amusements Ltd has been granted approval to build a new “gaming/amusement arcade” in Cobh, East Cork, providing a new leisure destination for visitors to West Beach.

The arcade will occupy the ground floor of the four-storey seafront complex, with the floors above dedicated to residential use.

“The location would include a gaming/amusement arcade on the ground floor, two one-bed apartments on the first floor and two two-bed duplex apartments on the second and third floor levels,” reported Cork Beo.

“Access to the arcade would be provided via an entrance on West Beach, while access to the apartments in the upper floors would be through a separate entrance onto Rahilly Street.”

In its application, Wonderboy cited the nearby Liberty Casino as a premises with a “similar use site” to the arcade, and added the Council’s County Development Plan acknowledges “the importance of the role of recreation and leisure and in particular the night time economy in the evolution of town centres as the retail base contracts.”

“The use of the upper floors for apartments will contribute to alleviating the shortage of residential apartments in Cobh. With just one existing similar use in the town centre, it is considered that the proposed development will not result in the proliferation of such use.”