Cork councillor threatens to chain himself to trees over €7m cycle path project
Construction fencing around works on Knockpogue Avenue. 'Free Farranree from Bike Lane Tyranny' signage was erected on the fencing at Knockpogue Avenue, Farranree as residents continue their campaign against the removal of tree and parking spaces to facilitate the construction of bike lanes. Picture: Larry Cummins
A Cork politician has threatened to chain himself to a tree to protect it from being cut down to build a cycle path.
Three separate motions were brought at a meeting of Cork City Council from different parties, calling for the protection of 22 healthy, mature trees that are decades old but have been earmarked for felling for active travel lanes through the city’s northside.
Residents have threatened to chain themselves to trees at Knockfree Avenue in Farranree if Cork City Council cuts them down to build bike lanes.
Solidarity Party–People Before Profit councillor Brian McCarthy said he would join those residents in chaining himself to the trees unless Cork City Council urgently alters its cycle path plans to preserve them.
The €7m Knockpogue Knockfree Avenue project was unanimously approved by Cork City Council in April 2023.
Residents were consulted during the process, and an initial plan to fell 10 trees changed to a plan to fell 22 trees after residents said they wanted to retain more car parking spaces.
But a meeting of Cork City Council heard on Monday night that residents had not understood that retaining more parking would result in the loss of so many trees.
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Sinn Féin councillor Kenneth Collins proposed a motion in support of the residents at Monday’s meeting.
Mr Collins said the community had asked for the project to continue but for the cycle lanes to be moved to the other side of the road to preserve the trees.
“The residents up there are realists. They know they can’t keep all the trees but want to keep as many trees as possible,” he said.
The project, as proposed on Knockfree Avenue, remains highly contentious and subject to strong opposition, he said.
A community meeting in recent weeks drew more than 300 locals who were concerned about the issue, Mr Collins said.
Although alternatives have been proposed, all have been refused, he said.
Communities deserve a voice at all stages of the planning and construction processes, he said.
He called for a halt to the project as proposed on Knockfree Avenue until agreement is reached with local residents.
The scheme aims to enhance pedestrian and cycling infrastructure along a 1.4km stretch of road between Gurranabraher and Farranree to better link residents with local facilities.
Fianna Fáil councillor Tony Fitzgerald said the project had been worked on for some three years now but “from the word go, we said the trees would be a problem.”
“We have to get his right, but at the minute it’s totally wrong,” he said.
But Fianna Fáil councillor Seán Martin said people are now “playing politics” with the issue after it had been voted through.
“Sometimes we have to make hard choices and there will be winners and losers,” he said
Green Party councillor Dan Boyle said he previously chained himself to a tree to try to save it from being cut down, but it was felled anyway.
However, with the replacement planting that followed, 25 years later, a new canopy had formed in the area.
But a flaw existed in the process of planning the new bike lanes, he said.
The problem that mature trees growing on the intended cycle lane path could cause should have been identified before the plan was voted through.
There should also be clearer policy priorities and a fundamental effort to try to retain mature, healthy trees when planning new infrastructure, he said.
Hundreds of trees were removed, many unnecessarily, in developing the new €456m M28 Cork to Ringaskiddy road, he said.
Fianna Fáil councillor Dr John Sheehan said that he voted for the overall plan initially and would do so again as it removed roundabouts and made the area safer for everyone.
But he said there must be some mechanism for compromise with those who want to keep the trees while pushing forward with the plan, which may not satisfy everyone but could give something to both parties.
Chief executive of Cork City Council Valerie O’Sullivan said the council was trying to deal with certain realities, and that it is usually not possible to both retain car parking spaces and trees when developing new road infrastructure.
Overall tree numbers will be higher at the end of the project because new trees will be planted, but she said she understood the sensitivity around felling trees on this stretch of road.
The project must meet certain parameters to get funding for its construction, but she said that if an altered plan is proposed it could be brought forward. However, she stressed that “compromise is a reciprocal process.” “We are listening and we’ll continue to listen,” she said.
Gerry O’Beirne, director of services for infrastructure development at Cork City Council, told the meeting that the plan had been approved by council, put out to tender, contracts were entered into and funding had been drawn down from the National Transport Authority (NTA).
Approximately 60% of work on the project has now been executed, he said, and it was generally seen to be a positive development.
“Most people now fully accept the need for safe pedestrian and cycle access,” he said.
And through the tree replacement process, which is part of the project, more native and mature trees would be planted in the area where they had existed previously, he said.
Cork City Lord Mayor and Fine Gael councillor Damian Boylan said people had worked extremely hard on developing this new road scheme.
Politics is the art of compromise, he said, and called for authorities to meet with locals to discuss the issues at a meeting with residents on September 23.
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