Cork business leaders meet over parking

Business leaders are set to meet this evening to discuss the planned revamp of Morrison’s Island and traders fears of the loss of hundreds of on-street parking spaces.

The Cork Business Association (CBA) is holding the meeting at the Imperial Hotel at 6pm. A city council official will be in attendance to discuss the plans and address any questions from CBA members.

Design experts behind the €6m revamp of Cork’s Morrison’s Island, which integrates flood defences with public realm upgrades, have said the plan “strikes the right balance” between protecting the area’s heritage and reducing flood risk.

Up to 110 parking spaces will be removed from an almost 600m stretch of south-facing quayside, between Parliament and Parnell Bridges as part of the plan.

The meeting will also likely see concerns raised about the new St Patrick St car ban.

Private cars are now banned from the area from 3pm to 6.30pm seven days a week. Access is restricted to public transport, taxis, cyclists, and emergency vehicles during those times.

However, when it kicked in at the end of March, it caused almost two hours of rush-hour gridlock in the city centre last night and complaints of a lack of warning signs about the traffic arrangements.