Objections to centre of soccer excellence in Cork's Glanmire

The FAI has received a significant setback to its plans to build a €10m centre for soccer excellence on the outskirts of Cork after a large number of objections were lodged against the development.

Scores of people and a community organisation have highlighted their concerns about the proposed development at Brooklodge, Glanmire, with Cork County Council planners.

The FAI, with the support of Foras — the co-operative which took over Cork City FC in 2010 — recently lodged plans with the council to develop a 30-acre site at Brooklodge.

It proposes to develop four full-sized turf pitches; one full-sized artificial pitch; six smaller artificial pitches; and two smaller turf pitches on the site. In addition, it also wants to build a pavilion with viewing area, gymnasium, dressing rooms, physiotherapy room, medical room, cafeteria, kitchen, administration offices, and meeting room for the local community.

Many residents in the area say the infrastructure around the site cannot cope with such a large development.

In a written submission to council planners, the Glanmire Area Community Association (GACA) said it had developed three playing pitches in the immediate vicinity and was worried that the FAI development would lessen its ability to keep them viable.

FAI chief executive John Delany has said its Brooklodge facilities would be open for use by all other clubs in the Glanmire area.

GACA said its rental income could be greatly reduced by this and claimed a number of clubs using its facilities have already signalled an interest in moving to the FAI development when its completed.

“The ongoing battle to make GACA self-sustainable will be almost impossible and we feel that the closure of [our] facility is a very real possibility,” the submission read.

GACA pointed out that taxpayers’ money, in the form of lottery grants and funding from the county council, had contributed to its pitches and if the FAI was granted planning it could have serious consequences for the community association.

Another submission, signed by 66 locals, said they also had a number of concerns about the FAI’s proposals. These include inadequate storm water drainage, public lighting and footpaths.

Other submissions claimed the FAI hadn’t entered into consultation with local residents and questioned if the current road network in the area could handle the extra traffic the project would generate.

One objector said the FAI wanted to use the facility as a centre of excellence for soccer players through Munster. He said that by the FAI’s own reckoning there were 20,000 players registered in the region and hundreds of them coming into the area at a time could have a serious impact on traffic congestion.

The FAI envisages that Cork City FC will get a permanent training ground and pitches for its U19 and U17 teams at Brooklodge.

The FAI says if the development gets the green light it will create 40 jobs in the construction phase and up to eight jobs when it is completed.