City manager assures public access to developed quay sites

PUBLIC access to prime city-centre, quayside land will be maintained despite Port of Cork moves to develop the area, the city manager has assured.

Joe Gavin was responding to a question from city councillor Tim Brosnan (FF) about the port company’s plans to develop its Horgan’s Quay and Albert Quay sites as part of its €80 million relocation down-river to Ringaskiddy by the Oyster Bank and the ADM Jetty.

The company erected two large signs several months ago — one on its north docks and one on its south docks — inviting development proposals for the narrow, water-fronting sites to help fund the move.

Property adviser Frank Ryan of DTZ Sherry FitzGerald is handling the proposals.

He said last October that proposals would be accepted for six months. That period comes to an end at the end of this month.

Port chief executive Brendan Keating emphasised at the time that they were not just seeking cash offers for the quayside sites.

“Some mechanism needs to be found to enable us to build alternative facilities in the lower harbour,” Mr Keating said.

But Mr Brosnan, who said a marina proposal would be ideal, questioned city manager Joe Gavin on whether potential development would impact on the city’s plans for a public river-side walkway at these sites as part of its multi-billion docklands regeneration.

Mr Gavin said that while the public roads at both sites are owned by the local authority, the “campshire” is owned by the Cork Harbour Commissioners.

“It is an objective of the city plan that the quayside fronting the river Lee be developed as a quayside amenity, incorporating a public walkway,” he said.

Irrespective of development proposals for either site, Mr Gavin said it was still the council’s intention to retain a strip of land, about 30 metres wide back from the water’s edge, for the walkway.

The objective had to be built in to a recent planning application for the McMahon site on Water Street on the north docks site, he said.

The port owns 1.5 kilometres of water-frontage in the city, with almost 900 metres on the south jetties, and 650 metres on the north jetties.

DTZ expects to have all expressions of interest for both sites by the end of the month.

A port spokesman said the company would not be commenting until it has seen the proposals.