Some city centre shopping units vacant for 5 years

Cork City’s worst urban blight blackspots have been identified in a community-led survey.

The fifth annual retail occupancy survey, focused on the city’s shopping core, shows the problem is focused on Grand Parade where two huge stalled developments — one on the Capitol Cinema site and the other on the city library site — are to blame.

Co-ordinated by Fine Gael activist Barry Keane and conducted on Tuesday on the South Mall, Parnell Place, Oliver Plunkett St, Grand Parade, Maylor St, St Patrick’s Street, Merchant’s Quay, Washington St and Opera Lane, the survey found some units had been vacant for five years and should be declared derelict.