Council to hold special meeting to outline case for East Cork outlet village
A special meeting of Cork County Council will be held on Friday to discuss how it will put a case to government supporting the development of a €100m Kildare Village-type shopping centre in East Cork.
The council will need to respond to a report by the Office of the Planning Regulator, an independent watchdog, which was not in favour of the proposal by a British-based company to build the Tourist Outlet Village (TOV), close to the IDA industrial estate at Killacloyne, Carrigtwohill.
Rioja Estates said the project would create more than 850 permanent jobs and a further 640 during construction.
The company also maintained the development wouldn't adversely impact other retail outlets in the area.
The Office of the Planning Regulator sent a report to junior minister of state for housing and urban development, Damien English. He will have the ultimate say on whether the project goes ahead.
Friday's special meeting in County Hall will be unique as the local authority will stage it in the ground floor foyer area, instead of in the council chamber.
That's because it will be able to socially distance the 55 councillors plus officials who will need to attend and the floor two debating chamber is too small for that.
A large number of county councilors have previously made their views known that they support the Rioja Estates plan.
Cllr Anthony Barry, who lives in Carrigtwohill, said that he expected council planners to provide a report on how they support the Rioja Estates project and then seek the views of elected members which will be added to the report before it is submitted to Mr English.
“I think the overwhelming view on Friday amongst councillors will be that the Office of the Planning Regulator is wrong in its assessment. I think there is a demand for this type of centre in Co. Cork and we now need to make our argument for it to Damian English,” Mr Barry said.
He said that tens of thousands of people from the region travel to Kildare Village annually and if the TOV was opened in Carrigtwohill, it would keep that money in Cork.
In a submission to the council, Rioja Estates said it believes the TOV will draw 220,000 additional tourists to the region annually.
TOVs sell premium brands as well as heavily discounted products not normally found on the high street — for example end-of-line, seconds and out-of-season goods.
