Retail outlet in East Cork would have 'negligible impact' on city trading, study suggests

By Eoin English and Kevin O'Neill

A Kildare Village-style retail outlet in Metropolitan Cork would have a “negligible impact” on trading conditions in the city centre, a new study suggests.

Three sites, all in East Cork, have now been identified as potential locations for a proposed retail outlet centre (ROC) with much more detailed study required on each location before the development is factored into any development plans.

Last October, Cork County and Cork City Councils jointly commissioned a study on the requirement for a ROC in the Metropolitan Cork strategic planning area.

Now after a year of work, MacCabe Durney Barnes and Transport Insights have published their draft final report which suggests there is capacity in the region for an ROC, and identifying two sites near Carrigtwohill and one near Midleton as potential locations.

In their submissions, Cork City Council and the Cork Business Association warned of the fragile state of the retail sector, with both warning that a ROC was premature.

The study stresses that Cork City is the main centre for higher-order comparison shopping in the region, with vacancy rates of between 9-11% on a number of primary shopping streets.

And it says online shopping has hit the amount of money available for spending on the high street.

But it found that there is “scope and comparison retail capacity” in Metropolitan Cork for about 90,000 to 100,000 sqm of additional retail floor space, with the proposed ROC accounting for about 13-15% of this demand.

“The retail impact assessment for the ROC indicates a cumulative retail impact of between 0.3% and 1% depending upon the location of the ROC and the capacity to draw additional tourism expenditure from outside of the catchment," it says.

“This is a reflection of the modest scale of the ROC (13,500 sqm net sales area) relative to the overall size of Cork City Centre (93,058 sqm including pipeline).

This would indicate a negligible impact upon the trading conditions of the city centre. The impact is lessened with distance from the city centre.

“The impacts are dependent upon strictly controlling the nature and type of goods sold to ensure that they are end-of-season and not in direct competition with high street traders in the city centre.

"A ROC should not have an adverse impact upon the vitality and viability of Cork City centre, particularly for those locations more distant from the main retail core of the city."

The Carrigtwohill sites have access to the N25, but the closest bus stops are between 1.5 and 2kms away. Both are close to the Cork-Midleton rail line but there is no train station nearby. Both sites have limited pedestrian access and no dedicated cycling infrastructure.

While the Midleton site has no direct access to the N25, the study says a link could be provided via a new link to the Midleton Northern relief road.

The report is due to be considered by officials and elected public representatives over the coming weeks.