Outside dining could stay in some Cork City streets until 2021 - and maybe beyond

Princes Street was recently pedestrianised as part of the Re-imagining Cork City Programme. Picture: Clare Keogh

Street closures that have allowed al-fresco dining on some of Cork’s city streets during the summer are set to be extended until the end of the year.

And there are hopes that some of the temporary street closures could become permanent pending a review which is about to get underway.

It follows confirmation from Cork City Council’s director of operations, David Joyce, that the council has advertised its intention to extend the raft of temporary street closures, which were introduced initially until August 31 as part of the council’s wider Covid-19 recovery strategy, until December 31.

The council has advertised a process of public consultation on the proposed extension of the traffic restrictions and has invited feedback from the public.

But Mr Joyce has also confirmed that the council plans to conduct a detailed review over the coming weeks of how the various street closures have operated to identify where the temporary closure arrangements could become permanent.

“A separate public consultation process would be required before any decision can be made on making the arrangements permanent. That process could take between eight to 10 weeks to complete,” he stressed.

Temporary street closures - the banning of cars and the removal or parking - were introduced in various parts of the city in recent months to facilitate social distancing and to help food-related businesses who sought to use street space for outdoor dining.

It was one strand of the city’s Re-imagining Cork City programme - a €2m strategy which the council said would lead to the creation of 14 new ‘people-friendly’ streets as part of the council’s wider strategy and vision to create a city of sustainable urban growth.

Following an initial round of public consultation, cars were subsequently banned from the Marina, and during certain times from Princes St, Paul St, Tuckey St, Pembroke St and Emmet Place.

The pedestrianisation of the Marina, a popular recreation walk along the banks of the River Lee, was warmly welcomed.

But the success of the eat-on-the-street initiative on Princes St in the heart of the city centre has gained national and international attention.

Several neighbouring restaurants and food-serving bars united here to develop the street-dining initiative, and they worked with City Hall to deliver it.

Cork musician John Spillane performing for diners on Princes St. Picture: Nash 19/Twitter

A similar proposal is planned for MacCurtain St, where a major traffic management and streetscape renewal project is also planned to get underway next year.

It is hoped that the ambitious on-street dining arrangements on MacCurtain St, which will see a number of restaurants and food-serving bars using parking spaces for tables, and which will also see the creation of an outdoor mini food market on Harley St, will be finalised by the end of this month.  

As well as the pedestrianisation of several city centre streets, the council's ‘reimagination’ programme includes the €1.5m repair of six kms of existing cycle lanes, the installation of bollards on four kms of key cycling routes, the delivery of 4.1 kms of new cycle lanes at Centre Park and Monahan Roads, Terence MacSwiney Quay, Horgan’s Quay and Victoria Road and South Mall and the construction of 43 bike racks which can accommodate approximately 500 bikes.

The programme is supported by the National Transport Authority.