Investment boost for gateway towns as population growth soars

CORK City and its gateway towns are in line for billions of euro of additional investment to cater for a faster than expected increase in population.

The extra money is expected to be recommended following a review of the Cork Area Strategic Plan (CASP), which is due to begin in October.

CASP is the blueprint drawn up in 2001 to provide for the economic growth of Cork city and its environs up to 2020.

The Government officially estimates that the population of the southwest region will increase in that time by 117,000 more people than expected when the plan was being drawn up.

The southwest comprises Kerry, Cork county and Cork city.

The estimate is based on both the increase in immigration, and the numbers estimated to leave Dublin in the years ahead as the Government attempts to divert population growth away from the capital and towards the so-called “gateway” and “hub” locations.

According to Cork County Council, the CASP areas will receive the lion’s share of those additional people.

That puts the figures predicted in the 2001 plan — 95,000 more people and 55,000 more jobs required — far out of date.

It means the city and county councils must not only speed up the implementation of the existing CASP infrastructural improvements but also provide the additional employment and economic requirements needed to cater for the population explosion.

According to Dan Looney, CASP coordinator, that means a number of additional requirements including schools, improved public transport provision and better rail and road networks which will make the area more attractive to business investment as well as to those considering Cork as their new home.

Mr Looney said that while he cannot tie the hands of whoever wins the contract by preempting the findings of the study, there were clear areas which would have to be assessed.

“We must see if we have got enough zoned land in areas where the population might be gathering and identify additional areas that might need to be targeted,” he said, adding that there would have to be a balance with protecting existing green space.

“The original plan set timescales for delivery of infrastructure. By and large this is a roll forward of those timescales with additional works.”

He said the findings of the consultants will be worked into the formulation of the new Cork County Development Plan which is currently being formulated and which is due to be introduced in 2009 as well as the later Cork City Development Plan.

The duration of the contract for the consultants is nine months starting on October 15, 2007 and finishing on July 30, 2008.

The 2001 CASP document proposed a more sustainable form of spatial development for the Cork area focusing on:

Improved access to jobs, education, health, culture, leisure and other services for all through the provision of a high quality public transport system.

The location of new housing which will be situated as closely as possible to employment opportunities and public transport routes.

A move towards higher housing densities, and a wider choice of house sizes reflecting projected population structure.