Cork City development plan to be published for public consultation

St Patrick St, Cork City. Picture: Larry Cummins

The draft Cork City development plan, which will guide the newly enlarged city towards ambitious 2040 population growth targets, will be published for public consultation this month.

It follows a series of votes by city councillors on Monday night on a raft of proposed amendments to the draft plan which will shape and guide the city’s development for the next five years.

They voted on a range of proposed technical amendments to the draft plan, including changes to its text and on several proposed residential zoning amendments on sites across the city.

Their votes have the potential to yield a minimum additional 1,970 new housing units, if the draft plan is adopted next year.

However, a proposal from Independent councillor Ken O’Flynn, supported by former Lord Mayor, Fine Gael councillor Joe Kavanagh, to amend the zoning of Ellis’s Yard next to the Spring Lane halting site, to a sports and community grounds designation, was voted down.

This vote decision means the yard can still be considered for housing development.

The new city development plan is the first for the newly enlarged city, and it will be the first of three in the period to 2040 — a period in which Cork has been earmarked to be the fastest-growing city in Ireland.

Population growth

Under Ireland 2040, Cork is expected to accommodate population growth in the order of 55% — an additional 115,000 people, which equates to the combined growth of Limerick, Galway, and Waterford cities over the next 25 years.

There will be a major focus on large-scale regeneration projects for the provision of new employment, housing, and supporting infrastructure in the city’s docklands, but also in the expanded city region.

The new plan aims to set out how all these targets can be achieved in an attractive and sustainable way.

The amendments voted through on Monday will be integrated into the draft plan, and will each be environmentally screened before the final draft is published for public consultation on July 26.

The closing date for submissions from the public will be October 4.

The submissions will then be considered and a further report from the chief executive will issue, followed by another period of public consultation on whatever proposed amendments emerge from that process.

The last round of public consultation will take place in early 2022, with final adoption of the plan no later than June 2022.