Planners say 58,000 new homes needed

A new blueprint for the future of Cork county points to 58,000 new housing units being needed by 2022 to accommodate population growth.

The County Development Plan, envisages the population in the county area will increase, within eight years, to more than 470,000 — up 71,000 from the 2011 census.

Senior county council planners say the likely house-build figures have already taken into account the number of unoccupied houses in ghost estates.

Andrew Hind, the council’s senior planner, said there are currently about 1,600 houses in ghost estates, in the county.

Councillors yesterday commenced debates on the new draft development plan. It is due to come into operation in 2016.

The main focus for population growth will remain in the greater Cork metropolitan area, especially along the commuter rail corridor.

Planners expect an upturn in the construction sector in areas close to the railway line in Midleton and Carrigtwohill where large parcels of land have already been zoned for housing.

Meanwhile, council officials say they are still intent on developing a new 5,000-house town at Monard near Blarney.

Last year, the project received a setback after Bord Pleanála ruled that it was premature in the current economic climate and, secondly, the NRA still had not decided on whether it would build a new northern ring road which would connect to Monard.

Mr Hind said the plan would be resubmitted to Bord Pleanála next year.

“We will need the housing this project will generate,” he said.

The council also wants to see the development of a commuter rail link with Blarney and Monard to serve housing growth in those areas.

Planners also intend that further housing be developed in the Carrigaline and Ballincollig areas, as well as Cobh, Glanmire and Ballyvolane.

However, planners did not want to see growth confined to larger towns.

“Population growth will also be allocated to villages and rural areas in north and west Cork,” Mr Hind said.

The council has drawn up a new policy on rural housing which will make it easier for people to complete planning applications.

The mayor of Co Cork, Alan Coleman said eight special plans would also be developed — in conjunction with the overall blueprint — which would provide a more detailed focus on growth in the metropolitan areas.

He said it was imperative development was allowed to proceed on the northside of the city to balance growth on the southside.