A major social housing plan has been unveiled for the long-time vacant site of what was once described as Cork’s very own Willy Wonka sweet factory.
Cork City Council has published a Part 8 planning notice on plans to build 56 new social homes on the site of the former Topps sweet factory in Ballincollig, which has lain vacant for almost 30 years.
Topps, an international marketer of children’s confectionery, set up operations in the town’s Innishmore area in 1976.
Famous for producing Bazooka bubble gum and Golden Nuggets gum with tattoos, locals recall fondly how in the early years, children from local estates were often invited into the factory to taste some of the products,…