Cork city centre to have a 'neighbourhood' feel post-Covid 

New strategy to be prepared by team of architects, urban designers, and economists, with policies to position city as a place to live as well as work

Cork City Council’s commercial rates arrears jumped from €14m in 2019 to €22m last year as the full effects of the pandemic were felt. Picture; Larry Cummins

Work is under way on a new strategy to make Cork city centre a more liveable city amid warnings that commercial vacancy levels are set to increase post-Covid.

A team including architects, urban designers, and economists has been commissioned to prepare the strategy, which will include planning policies to position the city as a place to live as well as a place within which to work — viewing the city centre "as a neighbourhood", officials said.

It comes as new figures show Cork City Council’s commercial rates arrears jumped from €14m in 2019 to €22m last year as the full effects of the pandemic were felt.

Councillors warned of ongoing pressure on the retail sector and expressed concerns about increased vacancy and dereliction.

They were told that as well as preparing a new city centre strategy, a more co-ordinated approach to tackling dereliction is planned towards the second half of the year.

Fearghal Reidy, the director of services in the council’s strategic and economic development directorate, said seeing the city through a “Covid lens” has helped people see new opportunities.

“The need to expand the experience of the city centre is very evident. But we need to do it carefully without displacing existing businesses,” he said.

Mr Reidy said the council is actively engaged in resolving 95 derelict sites — with some in council ownership, some with planning applications, and some with applications pending — and with more Compulsory Purchase Orders planned this year.

Together with urban regeneration and public realm works, including the planned revamp of Bishop Lucey Park and of the MacCurtain St area, combined with a review of existing tax break or tax incentive instruments, he said the city is working on several fronts to ensure it is positioned for recovery post-Covid.

We are not going to rest and wait for the city centre strategy to be complete. A lot is going on now. We are working in parallel on a lot of initiatives to build on the Reimagine Cork work

A balmy day at Bishop Lucey Park in Cork City recently. Picture: Eddie O'Hare

Green Party councillor Dan Boyle said the city must anticipate and prepare for a new rates base post-Covid, citing French Church St, where six to-let signs are visible on a street with 19 premises.

“That doesn't mean that all these businesses are not going to reopen. We just need to be aware of this and we need to plan for this,” he said.

Independent councillor Ken O’Flynn said Covid has accelerated the move to online retail and affected how people perceive the city centre.

“There is an opportunity now to look at city living and plan for the next 20 years,” he said.

Councillor Lorna Bogue called for a rates discount scheme to help small independent businesses.

 Worker’s Party councillor Ted Tynan said the pandemic has presented a “golden opportunity” to encourage families back to living in the city centre.

However, Solidarity councillor Fiona Ryan warned of a move towards a gentrified city, and said the build-to-rent apartments which are currently being built in the city centre will be out of reach for "ordinary working people".