Cork plans for doubling of over-65s population within 20 years 

Plans are being drawn up to create infill housing in villages and towns specifically for older people, which will provide them with easy access to shops, churches and other amenities. Picture: PA

Cork County Council has created a 'housing blueprint' to address projections which show the number of pensioners living in the county will almost double in the next 20 years.

Currently, there are about 50,000 over 65s living in the county. As life-expectancy increases, this is expected to rise to 72,000 within 10 years and be about 93,000 by 2041.

A section of the new draft County Development Plan (CDP) – which focuses on development in the region from 2022 to 2028 – has been dedicated specifically to dealing with their requirements.

In particular, it plans to create housing projects which will allow pensioners to live as long as they can independently, without the need for nursing home care.

Disability

The local authority will build houses which can be easily modified to cater for the needs of people as they grow older, or suffer a disability.

The council will also encourage private developers to adjust their plans so new homes can be adapted in the same way.

Plans are being drawn up to create infill housing in villages and towns specifically for older people, which will provide them with easy access to shops, churches and other amenities.

The council will liaise with health services as part of the project to ensure pensioners have all the supports they need.

The move was welcome by Fianna Fáil councillor Ian Doyle, who had asked for specific plans to be enshrined in the CDP to address the growing need for suitable accommodation for older people.

Mr Doyle pointed to a very successful sheltered housing project in his hometown of Charleville as a prime example of what's required.

Network of digital hubs

Elsewhere the County Development Plan (CDP) 2022-2028, which will go out to public consultation on April 22 for a period of 10 weeks, also focuses on supports for remote working through the creation of a network of digital hubs.

Senior planner Padraig Moore said nearly 30,000 private-sector workers are capable of operating remotely.

He said the growth of co-working hubs and smart working is also making a significant contribution to the renaissance of towns.

Mr Moore said there are currently 15 enterprise and co-working hubs and two community hubs across the county, which offer people broadband access.

“The new CDP will recognise and promote the need for remote working throughout the county, either from home or from a designated hub/co-working space, which offer employees flexible work arrangements and contributes to a lower carbon output through the associated reduction in commuting,” Mr Moore said.

He said designated working hubs/co-working spaces should preferably be located on town/village centre sites and encourage the reuse of existing vacant buildings for such purposes.

Irish translation

Meanwhile, it was revealed that the county council will not be able to make an Irish translation of the draft CDP available for the public consultation.

Fianna Fáil councillor Gobnait Moynihan said she was very annoyed to hear that.

Mr Moore said they had tendered this out, but unfortunately got no takers for the job.

He said they had re-tendered and hope this time that somebody will respond.

Ms Moynihan pointed out it was a “legal obligation” to have the document available in Irish.

Michael Lynch, the council's director of planning, said “every effort had been made” to find somebody to do the work and promised the final plan will definitely be made available in Irish when it is published next year.

Council chief executive Tim Lucey said the CDP focuses on development in more than 200 settlements around the county and "picks up on nearly everything" in the Government's recently announced rural development policy.