Councillor seeks to block Little Island office units plan amid traffic fears

A county councillor is attempting to block the development of several new office blocks at Little Island in Cork amid concern it would create further traffic congestion.

Pádraig O’Sullivan, a Glanmire-based councillor, has lodged an appeal with An Bord Pleánala against the recent decision of Cork County Council to grant planning permission for three office buildings in the Eastgate Retail and Business Park.

The development, which will provide over 12,200sq m in office space in two four-storey blocks and one three-storey building, is being constructed by Eastgate Developments.

Mr O’Sullivan, a native of Little Island, said he welcomed any development that brought jobs to the region but insisted it was important the voice of local residents should also be heard.

“Heretofore, Cork County Council have ignored our reasonable attempts at leading our lives in a relatively uninhibited way,” he said.

The Fianna Fáil councillor claimed the major concern residents had about the proposed development was its impact in terms of traffic and congestion. He said the council’s efforts at a traffic and transportation study had focused on the concerns of employees and businesses on Little Island and not on those of local residents.

Council officials, he revealed, had admitted to him the figures in the study were “obsolete and outdated” including estimates there are about 8,000 employees working on Little Island.

“It is a sad fact for residents that we are continually overlooked and forgotten in the face of continued development,” the councillor said.

Mr O’Sullivan said it was “wholly unacceptable” there are currently no bus routes travelling through Little Island. He believed the new development would contribute to further congestion.

“It is dangerous of Cork County Council to allow this over-concentration of traffic at peak times continue, especially in advance of the Dunkettle interchange upgrade,” he added.

Council planners had said the project was acceptable as Little Island was designated as a “strategic employment area” under the Cobh Municipal District Local Area Plan and there was a precedent for four-storey buildings within the business park.

In granting planning permission, the council directed developers make a special development contribution of €230,000 towards the €2.3m cost of a new bridge for pedestrian and cyclists linking Eastgate to Little Island train station which is designed to reduce the number of people using cars to commute to the business park.

The promoters must also pay almost €842,000 in general and supplementary development charges.

Mr O’Sullivan said it was entirely inappropriate that negotiations over the special development contribution had already taken place between the developer and council engineers even before councillors had got to vote on the proposed footbridge.