Council expects building of 1,400 homes for new East Cork town to start soon

However, councillors pointed out that when they first approved the Water Rock masterplan a few years ago it was with the proviso the N25 would be upgraded

Part of infrastructural works that took place in Water Rock last year. The new town, which will ultimately have 2,500 houses, will include a railway station, which is already planned by Irish Rail, and has land zoned for the development of schools and retail.

Construction is expected to start soon on 1,400 houses which will form part of a new town to be developed in East Cork between Midleton and Carrigtwohill.

That’s according to senior council officials who say that four main developers are set to build the homes at Water Rock, which is slightly north of the main Cork to Waterford road (N25).

The new town, which will ultimately have 2,500 houses, will also include a railway station, which is already planned by Irish Rail, and has land zoned for the development of schools and retail.

Necessary infrastructure, such as the creation of new connecting roads, is being carried out in the main by contractors BAM. In the meantime, An Bord Pleanála is expected to make a decision on March 28 about the council’s application for a liner park for the town.

The four main developers have received 10-year planning permissions for the 1,400 houses.

A presentation on the Water Rock development was given to local councillors by the county council’s project team who said the infrastructure provided to support the development is costing in the region of €10m and is so advanced they expect house building to commence there in the next couple of months.

A 1.7km link road will eventually connect the new town to Midleton’s Northern Relief Road and the planned railway station.

N25 upgrade

However, councillors have expressed concern that the axing of money to upgrade the N25 by Minister for Transport Eamon Ryan will have a huge impact on traffic gridlock as the houses come on stream.

Carrigtwohill-based Fine Gael councillor Anthony Barry said the plan for Water Rock is very impressive, and the houses are badly needed.

But he added he’s very worried that traffic gridlock in Midleton at peak times, allied to the stalling of the N25 upgrade, will ultimately drive a lot of motorists to use the Carrigane road which links Midleton and Carrigtwohill on the northern side of the main road.

He said the Carrigane road is totally unsuitable to carry large volumes of traffic and there appears to be no plans in place to upgrade it.

Fianna Fáil councillor Sheila O’Callaghan also expressed concern about increased traffic when the N25 upgrade isn’t accompanying the new town’s development.

Both councillors pointed out that when they first approved the Water Rock masterplan a few years ago it was with the proviso the N25 would be upgraded.

Project spokesman, Donal Cronin, agreed the N25 upgrade is “a key issue” but added “his understanding” is the upgrade “is just in abeyance” and the funding for it “is to be re-examined,” although he couldn’t tell councillors when that might happen.

What's your view on this issue?

You can tell us here

Mr Cronin added that pressure on the road network would be lessened by the opening of the railway station at Water Rock, which is being developed to aid the “modal shift” from the car to public transport.

Green councillor Alan O’Connor asked if flooding might impact on the Water Rock site, especially after Midleton was engulfed during Storm Babet.

He was told that while the OPW is the lead agency to ask such questions, especially as it’s overseeing the Midleton flood relief project, the local authority carried out flood risk assessments of its own which had shown the infrastructure planned for the area shouldn’t be impacted by flooding.