Objections emerge to plans for new pedestrian and cycle route in Cobh

Critics say using the popular Five Foot Way could create safety concerns for pedestrians and older users.

Part of the route would follow the Five Foot Way, the pier-side walkway connecting Whitepoint on the western side of the town with the town centre via the quay. Picture: Dan Linehan

Plans for a safe corridor for cyclists and pedestrians between the cross-river ferry terminal in Carrigaloe and Cobh town centre have come in for criticism from both the local council chairman and the chairman of the town’s Tidy Towns group.

Labour councillor Cathal Rasmussen said he could not understand the exact route from the report provided to local councillors and asked senior council engineers to walk the 3.28km route with local public representatives.

He made his comments after John Slattery, the senior official in charge of the council’s Sustainable Travel Unit (STU), outlined the plans and admitted that, because of the area’s topography and other constraints, developing the route was akin to “threading the eye of a needle”.

“I’m disappointed with the detail. We need to understand all of the route and need to walk it on the ground. I’m concerned the map we have been given is not showing the exact route,” Mr Rasmussen said.

Part of the route would follow the Five Foot Way, the pier-side walkway connecting Whitepoint on the western side of the town with the town centre via the quay, which runs along the south side of the Garda station.

Independent Ireland councillor Ger Curley said he would object to that element of the proposal as it is a very congested area when buses are loading and unloading visiting cruise passengers, while many elderly people use the route daily.

Mr Curley said adding a cycling route there would not be conducive to the safety of those users.

Mr Slattery said the route had been difficult to design, with planners having to take into account existing and proposed housing developments, as well as connections to the current railway station and a proposed new station at Ballymore, south of Belvelly Bridge.

He said the 3.28km cycleway and walkway section is actually shorter than the road distance between Carrigaloe and Cobh town centre.

Mr Slattery maintained that the emerging preferred route “ticks a lot of boxes”, making it safer for both pedestrians and cyclists.

He added that it would “make it more attractive for commuting and recreational use” and would include features designed to make women and girls feel “less intimidated”, although he did not expand on those measures.

Mr Slattery said some landowners would be affected by compulsory purchase orders (CPOs) and that discussions were ongoing with them. He added that the overall plan would go to public consultation shortly.

Cobh Tidy Towns chairman Hendrick Verwey said the proposal to use the Five Foot Way and Water’s Edge route as a shared cycle and pedestrian corridor was the volunteers’ main concern.

“This is one of Cobh’s most cherished amenities, used by thousands of people of all ages every day to walk and exercise in a safe, beautiful setting. The 500m route along the sea was beautifully landscaped with pollinator friendly flowers by Cobh Tidy Towns in 2021. There are plenty of benches to rest on and it’s a wonderfully social place to be, with people stopping for a chat in complete safety. How could anyone consider adding bicycles whizzing past to be a good idea?"

“This proposal will destroy something that generations of Cobh people have enjoyed. We will not let this happen,” Mr Verwey said.