Report ignored call for joint Cork planning body

Authors of a report on the proposed extension of Cork City’s boundary ignored a request from Cork County Council to recommend the creation of a governing body which would oversee all strategic planning for the whole region.

The omission has been heavily criticised by the outgoing Mayor of County Cork, Seamus McGrath, who is also seriously concerned that his local authority will lose so much revenue from the boundary extension it could become a non-viable entity.

In a submission to the Mackinnon expert advisory group, the county council suggested that both local authorities could run their own day-to-day services, but that reserved powers and functions would be assigned to the combined governing body for strategic policy.