€100m Ringaskiddy expansion ‘not a recycled plan’

The Port of Cork’s new €100m Ringaskiddy terminal expansion plan has several key differences to the scheme which was shot down six years ago, the company insisted yesterday.

Its experts told An Bord Pleanála that the scale of the project has been reduced by 30%, that the volume of trade it will handle is lower, that less land will be reclaimed, and that it is using a new traffic management plan to minimise the impact of port-related trucks on the strategic N28 road.

But crucially, the company told senior Bord Pleanála inspectors, Conor McGrath and Stephen Kay, that while design work is advancing on the N28 upgrade, the port expansion plan is not reliant on upgrades to that road, or to the Dunkettle interchange — the inadequate road infrastructure was one of the key reasons the board shot down the port’s 2008 plans.

The detail emerged during the first day of the board’s oral hearing into the port’s application, which was made last February under the Strategic Infrastructure Development process.

Despite criticism from Cork Harbour Environmental Protection Alliance that the latest project is a “recycled” version of the 2008 plan, several expert witnesses for the Port of Cork set out the differences.

Mark McConnell, the technical director of ports and harbours with RPS engineers, said the terminal design capacity has been reduced from 400,000 to 279,000, that the area to be reclaimed has been reduced from 18 hectares to 2.4 hectares, the terminal area has been reduced from 26.8 hectares to 16.3 hectares, berth length is down from 754m to 514m, and the number of cranes has been reduced from 12 to eight.

Planning consultant Brian McCutcheon said there have been significant changes in planning policy, specifically in relation to rail freight, since the board refused approval in 2008.

Traffic expert Ian Byrne said reduced traffic levels on the roads, combined with a 30% reduction in the overall scale of the project, will reduce its traffic impact on the N28.

He also said the port is testing a traffic management plan and a vehicle booking system, to manage the discharge of port traffic onto the road network at peak times.

Economic consultant Alan Gray, the director of Indecon International, said doing nothing would undermine the competitiveness of the port, which handled an estimated €13.9bn of trade in 2012, supporting up to 172,000 jobs.

Earlier, the board heard initial submissions from third parties.

An Taisce’s Tomas Bradley described the proposal and its reliance on road freight as “untenable, energy inefficient and emissions generating”.

“The current proposal exacerbates the Port of Cork’s dependence on oil, increases its contribution to global warming, and fails to prepare the Port of Cork with the resilience to thrive in a time of energy and climate uncertainty,” he said.

Michael Taft, of Cobh Fishermen’s Association, said their concerns haven’t changed since the 2008 proposal, and infill should not be taken from the harbour.

Chairman of Cobh Tourism, Hendrick Verwey, said the proposed 1.8m screening wall around the container storage area “falls far short of what is necessary”, and called for the planting of a large stand of poplar trees.

The hearing continues at the Cork International Airport Hotel today with more experts due to present evidence on behalf of the port company.

The board’s inspectors have set aside four days next week, with the possibility that the hearing could continue into a third week.

Mr McGrath said he is open to holding an evening session next week to facilitate people who cannot attend during the day.

It is hoped the inspectors’ report will be completed, and ready for consideration by the board, by the end of October.

Plans floated

Port expansion plan Ringaskiddy East:

- A new 314-metre multi-purpose berth.

- A 200-metre container berth.

- A new container yard and marshalling area. Ringaskiddy West:

- A new 180-metre extension to the existing deepwater berth.

- Dredging works to facilitate navigational access to the new facilities.

- A new recreation facility at Paddy’s Point.

- Improvements to the existing road entrance at the Ringaskiddy Deep-water Terminal and internal road upgrades.