Independent Cllr Kieran McCarthy has called for responses to the nature of archaeological test trenches on Bessborough Grounds before Christmas. Cllr McCarthy has been adamant in his call at Council level that a geo-physical radar survey be conducted on the grounds.
In response to Cllr McCarthy’s question to the Chief Executive at the last Council meeting, information was forthcoming that a programme of pre-development geophysical survey and archaeological test trenching was recommended by the City Archaeologist as part of pre-planning discussions in relation to a proposed development at this site.
According to the Director of Services for Strategic Planning and Economic Development Ferghal Reidy: “This is a standard recommendation given the size and scale of the proposed development and the sites location in close proximity to known archaeological Recorded Monuments and Places (RMP). The site was examined by a geophysical surveyor and was deemed unsuitable for Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR). GPR requires a very even ground surface free from excess vegetation and modern debris”.
A programme of archaeological test trenching commenced on Monday 9th December 2019. This work involved some necessary site clearance works. This work was carried out under archaeological licence issued by the National Monuments Service, Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht. The trenches were excavated, under supervision by a suitably qualified and experienced archaeologist, with a machine with a toothless bucket. The soil was removed in spits and was subsequently sieved on site. This is considered best practice.
The City Archaeologist was kept informed at all times and undertook a site inspection on Wednesday 11th December 2019. The ground works ceased on the afternoon of Wednesday 11th December following discussions with the National Monuments Service and the developer’s archaeologist. This was due to a technical issue with the archaeological licence. No archaeological features or finds were noted in the trenches excavated.
Cllr McCarthy noted: “ it is crucial that Cork City Council remains aware of the sensitivities associated with the site and these are kept to the fore with the representatives of the developer”.
To ask the CE for the Council’s role, if any, in the archaeological dig that recently took place on Bessborough grounds?
Motions:
That the Council finish off the repair of sections of footpaths not reached within Ardmahon Estate (Cllr Kieran McCarthy)
That Pic du Jer Park Ballinlough be re-surfaced as a priority as the surface of the road is collapsing at its sides (Cllr Kieran McCarthy)
That the Commemorative Plaques booklet published in recent years by the City Council be re-issued in light of the commemoration of the War of Independence (Cllr Kieran McCarthy).
That in light of the local office development at Penrose Quay to be opened this year, that a proper maintenance plan be affected for the Listening Posts sculpture (Cllr Kieran McCarthy).
Cllr McCarthy at a recent Council meeting asked that a dedicated Cycling Officer be put in place to develop a more joined-up cycling strategy in the city. Currently there is a Council officer, which cycling forms part of their wider work programme within the Directoratate for Community, Culture and Place-Making. The work varies from involvement in City wide public sustainable travel events such as European Mobility Week and the Bike Week as well as some road safety and promotion initiatives.
Cllr McCarthy noted; “Earlier this year, I noted publicly that the narrative around cycling in the city is broken and a lot more joined up thinking needs to happen. We need to create a stronger cycling strategy. For me we are only scratching the surface with the potential of cycling in the city. A dedicated Cycling Officer can bring a lot more to joined up thinking. Unfortunately, as well in the Council Chamber there are only a few voices in the Council Chamber who speak about the need for cycling. This is due to the variety of funding needs, needed for the city’s wards. Funding around estate resurfacing and footpath renewal is still recovering from the economic collapse”.
“The second element is that there is no local funding pot in Cork City Council to develop safe cycling infrastructure. At the budget estimates meetings last September, the Council had to choose between repair of footpaths or a local cycling funding pot. The majority wanted footpath repair, which is fair enough – but we shouldn’t be in a situation, where one has to choose between two important pieces of infrastructure”.
“Much of the funding for cycling infrastructure is highly dependent on central government funding. The Coke Bike Scheme and its expansion is also dependent on sponsorship nationally. At this moment in time without an uplift in interest in the Council chamber and in local funding, the development of cycling in the city will remain at a snail’s pace for the foreseeable future, which is very regrettable”, noted Cllr McCarthy.
The first phase of Marina Park in Cork’s Marina district is now proposed to open in late 2020. Cllr Kieran McCarthy has welcomed the recent positive response to his question on the City Council floor to the Director of Operations, Valerie O’Sullivan of Cork City Council – that there is now a clearer timeline to have Marina Park, the public park to circulate the new Pairc Uí Chaoimh, in place and open by the end of 2020. The tender assessment process for phase one which is for layout and foundations will be finalized before Christmas according to the Director of Operations.
Commenting Cllr McCarthy noted; “there has been much frustration by locals and officials alike that it has been a difficult tender process. Marina Park will be one of the newest recreational jewels in the crown of amenities to serve areas such as Docklands, Ballinlough, Ballintemple and Blackrock. The Marina and Atlantic Pond are two of the most visited amenities in the city. Both have a long history and have served Corkonians for decades.
“It’s important now that the Marina Park project is kept on track and funding put aside to progress it beyond phase one and onto phase two, which includes a large playground. Marina Park is recreational project I have high up on my priority work list”, noted Cllr Kieran McCarthy.
Independent Cllr Kieran McCarthy has called for an enlarged playground in Ballinlough. The Councillor cited through a motion on Cork City Council’s meeting agenda that large-scale demographic change and younger families moving into the area means that enhancement of playground facilities must be considered.
Cllr McCarthy noted; “The call for a larger playground in Ballinlough is one which has been on my work list for many years. During the economic downturn, items such as playgrounds were not deemed on a priority within the Council’s yearly budgets. Consequently, there has been a large built up demand across the city for more neighbourhood playgrounds”.
“During my canvass in Ballinlough this year I witnessed that in every third or fourth house in the housing estates of Ballinlough are young families just starting off their journey in the area. Ballinlough Swimming Pool Park has a very small playground, which many young parents in the area would like to see extended calls for the enhancement of small playground facilities are heard regularly in the Council. The Council needs to respond to the needs of families and the new City Development next year needs to reflect family needs as well”, noted Cllr McCarthy.
In response to Cllr McCarthy’s motion at the recent South East Local Area Committee, Director of Services in Operations Valerie O’Sullivan wrote that an enhancement of Ballinlough Swimming Pool Playground will be considered for the 2021 Council Budget to be set later next year.
To ask the CE about progress on Marina Park? (Cllr Kieran McCarthy)
Motions:
That the City Council paint a yellow box as Boreenmanna Road meets the City inbound and outbound South Link lanes (Cllr Kieran McCarthy).
That the City Council repaint the road line junction markings as Blackrock Road meets Victoria Road junctions (Cllr Kieran McCarthy).
That the City Council begin to host visible tree planting events that the public can engage with (Cllr Kieran McCarthy).
To ask Community, Culture and Place-Making Directorate for a progress and implementation report on the City of Sanctuary Action Plan (Cllr Kieran McCarthy).
Can I thank the CE, the Finance Officer John Hallahan and Cllr Martin, the chair of the Finance Committee for their work on this draft annual budget book.
History is being made this evening as this marks the first budget of the extended city in its current size. We now have to budget for 210,000 people and a city five times more in size with more challenges and more calls for funding.
Reading through the various sections you can see the strengths of our directorates and the ongoing work programmes – the 28 per cent of our income spent on Housing with over 1,000 social housing constructs coming on stream in the next two years – and near 20 per cent on roads with several construction and public realms projects ongoing. The continued investment in community grants, sports grants and arts grants are all very welcome.
I welcome as well the reference in the document of strong financial management and budgetary control and in particular the pulling back of the revenue deficit.
I am happy to support the budget.
I do have a few concerns from reading the document;
Firstly, the increase in expenditure of e.5.8m in homelessness services will help those that need it but I do hope that the increase will actually provide better services to those who need support services to get out of the homelessness trap, and that the funding doesn’t completely disappear into emergency accommodation, with no long term strategy really emerging.
Secondly, from a business perspective, I have an issue that that 43 per cent of the Council’s income is from rates- I feel that’s not sustainable in the long term – But I do welcome the Economic Development Fund and all its moving parts plus the work of the Local Enterprise Office and the cultural festival scheme in Cork– I still think there is a job of work to really promote measures more in the Fund, the enterprise office and the cultural festivals to the general public – all provide very useful tools to help businesses to respond to commercial changes.
Thirdly, I would like to comment on the ongoing issue of the unresolved compensation package to the County Council. It is not positive that it has not been resolved before this evening – and I do think there needs to an appendix in this draft annual budget saying how the compensation figure of e.13.5m was reached plus a little about previous expenditure in our new areas– I would suggest it might go on pages 12 and 13 with its graph showing the expenditure increase showing a breakdown of figures. I say this in light of the County Council narrative as well earlier this week regarding the County suggesting it is losing significant income through the city boundary extension and no reference in their press releases to the compensation package.
Fourthly, it is welcome to see where sections of the LPT will go towards – I do note with unease though in the introduction the allocation of e.176,500 towards “tree cutting” – I would like to see that for every tree cut we plant two – and that for the most part the tree budget is going towards planting trees – that is this document the words “tree cutting” would be replaced by the words “tree management and tree planting”.
That leads me quickly to my fifth and last point – which is the understating of the narrative around the Council’s investment in environmental and climate change adaptation work plus even in the sustainable development goals –I think all these aspects should come to the fore more and get their own primary paragraphs in the introduction.
–for example, in the introduction there is a huge section on parking regulation but very little on the campaign to get more park and rides, cycling initiatives plus more bus incentives – in terms of transport in this budget document one could argue there is a significant car focussed narrative.
We need to create a more modern urban agenda narrative as much as we can.
I wish to thank John Hallihan and all in the finance department again on this work and I look forward to seeing the implementation of the work programme for 2020.
To ask the CE for an update on the progress of Coach Hill Road Works Scheme, Rochestown? When will plans be presented to the public and funding be put in place? Cllr Kieran McCarthy)
Motions:
In light of the ongoing demographic change and the emergence of many new families living in the area that a new playground be made a priority for delivery in Ballinlough. The current very small playground in Ballinlough Swimming Pool Park is out of date and is not fit for purpose for such an area with a rapidly growing number of families (Cllr Kieran McCarthy).
That the lines for the car parking spaces at the start of Blackrock Amenity adjacent Blackrock Castle be re-painted as they are faded. In particular drivers are unable to note the delineations of the designated wheelchair spaces (Cllr Kieran McCarthy).
Independent Cllr Kieran McCarthy has warmly welcomed the upcoming parking proposals for On Street Parking in Douglas Village in the lead-up to Christmas. The arrangements will only apply to the City Council controlled On Street parking spaces. A large number of parking spaces are controlled by private operators. Previously these operators were invited to participate in a joint initiative, but the offer was not accepted. The implementation of the initial parking promotion together with the lead-in Christmas proposal will impact on parking income from Douglas, approximately e80,000 to the end of 2019.
Cllr McCarthy noted: “Since 9 September, after the devastating fire in the Douglas Shopping Centre, Cork City Council responded to local businesses and their call for help and provided one hour free parking in the On Street parking spaces. The promotion was continued as part of the Autumn Parking Promotion for the city that runs until 17 November 2019. Business remain active in their call for support measures. The temporary closure of the Douglas Shopping Centre Car Park has caused a knock-on effect to business in Douglas. Supporting local businesses and local jobs is never more apt for Douglas village in light of the September fire.
The following Christmas parking arrangements in Douglas are to be applied to On Street parking spaces: Two hours free parking from Monday 11 December to Tuesday 31 December; no parking charges on the Saturdays in the run up to Christmas and just after, from Saturday 30 November to 28 December; no parking charges on Sundays, no parking charges on Christmas Day, St Stephen’s Day and New Year’s Day. Normal parking arrangements will resume on 2 January 2020.
As Cork City Council has done over the last number of years it will extend the operating hours of Paul Street Car Park, North Main Street and Black Ash Parka and Ride, as well as opening all the latter facilities on Sundays/ extending the Sunday opening hours as appropriate. A temporary Park & Ride will also operate from County Hall at the Weekends.
Independent Cllr Kieran McCarthy has welcomed the news this week that the Douglas Pop-Up Library has begun at Douglas Community Centre, three times-a-week. Douglas Library will pop-up on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at Douglas Community Centre from Thursday 07 November to Saturday 21 December. The part-time opening hours will be Thursday will be 2.30 pm-7.30 pm, Friday 10am-1pm and Saturday 10am-4pm. Douglas Library Service has noted: “Come along and choose from our specially selected collection of brand new books for all ages, or read your favourite newspaper or magazine. Special events and activities for children; keep an eye on our website and social media pages for details as they are announced”.
Director of Services Adrienne Rogers has also highlighted that the City Council is also making progress in restoring a full library service in Douglas on an interim basis. This would be in a smaller location than the Library damaged by the fire, but would be on the basis of a 5-day, 40 hours per week service. It is expected that there would be some refurbishment to be carried out to enable this interim solution, and Council Officials are urgently progressing this matter. Refurbishment is likely to take a number of months, and more detailed information will be provided to councillors in the near future.
As Douglas Library was a lending facility, like other local libraries, one third approximately of the stock was in circulation outside of the premises at the time of the fire, and this stock will be available to initiate the resumption of service in Douglas. The Council is in discussions with the relevant government department to secure funding for additional stock, and is hopeful of a positive outcome.
Cllr McCarthy noted; “Douglas Library is a cultural focal point in the village and has a high membership with adults and in particular younger people using it. It also hosted a large number of weekly community events, which attracted a lot of interested local people. It is imperative that the permanent library is got up and running again. I am also very happy that Douglas Community Centre is a partner in the pop-up-library as they themselves provide amazing community services locally.
“There are also moves afoot to make provision for local organisations who wish to help with collections of donations of books for the new full Douglas library to be restored sometime during 2020. More information on this donation mechanism is to come forward to the public very shortly”, noted Cllr McCarthy.