900 groups to fight Cork City expansion

An organisation representing 900 community and voluntary organisations in Co Cork is lobbying TDs and senators in an effort to scrap a major boundary extension to Cork City, which it says will be a “complete disaster” for rural communities if it goes ahead.

The Public Participation Network (PPN) fears rural areas, especially those on the periphery, will suffer serious neglect as the county council will lose nearly €50m a year in revenue from commercial rates and local property tax if the city boundary is extended to include Cork Airport, Ballincollig, Blarney, Glanmire, Little Island, and Carrigtwohill.

“At the moment, small communities are struggling for any kind of funding and rural roads are in a bad state of repair,” said PPN convener Finbarr Harrington.