'Panic' over West Cork pier plans unfounded, says council  

Safety improvement works to Glandore Pier will not lead to an 80% reduction in storage capacity

Glandore harbour with Union Hall pier in the background. The council has sought to allay fears that the refurbishment plan would effectively render the pier unusable by the local sailing club

Planned safety improvement works to Glandore Pier in West Cork will not lead to an 80% reduction in storage capacity despite media reports to the contrary officials, in Cork County Council have said.

The council has sought to allay fears that the refurbishment plan would effectively render the pier unusable by the local sailing club and other leisure users due to a dramatic cut in storage capacity for boats and equipment.

The pier is one of several in West Cork set to receive significant funding for improvements under the Brexit Adjustment Local Authority Marine Infrastructure Scheme (BALAMI). 

Under the plan more than €80,000 will be invested in safety improvement works including keep clear areas, designated temporary storage areas for small craft, safety signage and CCTV cameras as well as more than €60,000 for a new concrete “at toe” section to prevent vehicles rolling off the pier.

Hundreds of emails

The issue was raised by councillors at the recent meeting of Cork County Council’s Western Municipal District after they received hundreds of emails from concerned local people and pier users about the proposals.

Independent councillor Declan Hurley said, “They are saying there will be 80% less boat storage, the yacht club will effectively be shut down, there’s been no engagement from the council. On that point I know it’s early days yet, this is public consultation and there will be engagement from here on in but members just want to get clarity as to what we are proposing to do.” 

Senior executive officer MacDara O’Hici outlined the proposals to the members and said the council had received 102 submissions as part of the public consultation process.

“The initial assessment of submissions is done, some are suggestions, some alternatives, some seeking meetings and we will meet with anyone we need to meet with,” he said.

Cllr Hurley said that looking at the plans he could see there were “no physical structures going in apart from the guard rail along the pier edge and from what I can see here the storage area is identified on the ground. The claim that there’s 80% less boat storage, is that a valid claim or can you clarify how much less storage there is going to be once this work is completed?” 

Mr O’Hici replied: “I think looking at it there - a picture tells a thousand words, we’d have to measure it up. You can see storage here. The most recent day I was down there you had storage of kayaks, small sailing dinghies, motor boats. 

Storage on piers is a huge issue and is always an issue; the fine Sunday is the day when everyone wants to use it. Generally on piers it’s short-term storage, that’s the kind of storage you would be having on piers so I can’t see it’s 80%t. The storage area that’s there is what’s going to be lined off.

He said that council officials would meet with local people and pier users to make sure they take all of the comments on board but warned "we won’t be able to facilitate everyone with everything they want. There was a big controversy across the harbour with the pier in Keelbeg but it is working - if anyone has been down there recently you’ll see that it is working - and there is space and clear access in and out of it.” 

Cllr Paul Hayes said a lack of communication was a big issue and had left local people very concerned.

Communication is key

“Communication is the key to this just to get the information out there, just some specifics that we’ve been asked for like a timeline for the consolation process. Obviously the deadline has passed there on May 2nd so what happens next in other words? Again I would stress that we need to talk to people on the ground.” 

Mr O’Hici said: “The timeline from here on now will be that we have the submissions and we will go down through them. I think there is obviously confusion if people are thinking there is going to be 80% of the existing storage gone. The practical thing is to meet people on the pier and find out exactly where that is coming from.” 

Declan Hurley said: “Sometimes a little bit of prep work and some engagement with communities before this goes to public consultation can allay a lot of these fears and it doesn’t end up being the big drama that this has turned into.”