30 September 2022, “Independent councillor Kieran McCarthy said: ‘The tree line on Boreenmanna Rd in particular is incredible. It’s quite beautiful at autumn time and it would be an environmental travesty if those trees were actually cut down’ “, Road-widening plans prompt ribbon protest on Boreenmanna Road, Road-widening plans prompt ribbon protest on Boreenmanna Road (echolive.ie)
Category Archives: Ward Development
Cllr McCarthy: Fortnight Left for Cork BusConnects Consultation, 19 September 2022
Independent Cllr Kieran McCarthy calls on householders with concerns on the proposed BusConnects route from Maryborough Hill through to Douglas Road across Boreenmanna Road and Well Road to make submissions to the consultation process by Monday 3 October on Cork BusConnects.ie.
BusConnects Cork aims to enhance the capacity and potential of the public transport system. It will support the delivery of a low carbon and climate-resilient public transport system in addition to greatly improving accessibility to jobs, education whilst playing a key role in regeneration and improvements to public realm and City Centres.
Cllr McCarthy noted; “The plan is ambitious but proposes dramatic changes to the roadscape in order to future proof public transport across the city. I continue to receive a lot of calls and emails from locals asking for City Council members to intervene but on this enormous set of plans, the democratic powers of local Council members have been dismissed, and the National Transport Authority is now the key decision maker.
“If local residents have questions, they can still contact me. I have heard from many local residents who have concerns on the widening of Douglas Road, Boreenmanna Road, Well Road and Grange Road. It is crucial that those who live along these roads and who are still not unaware of the plans that they log onto Cork BusConnects website and come up to speed with proposals to take strips of front garden space, tree corridors and on-street car-parking”, detailed Cllr McCarthy.
Cllr McCarthy also organised a number of public meetings on the National Transport Authority proposal to place a 20 metre wide bridge to facilitate bus and cars over Ballybrack Woods from Donnybrook Hill to Maryborough Woods as part of the Grange to Douglas Bus Corridor. Cllr McCarthy noted: “This is a shocking act of environmental vandalism. Yes there is a need to improve the nature of public transport in the city and in the south east of the city but not at the expense of demolishing half a woodland to do it”.
NTA, Bus Connects & The Mangala Bridge and Grange Road Proposals, 22 August 2022
Extract from letter to residents in Shamrock Lawn and along Grange Road:
Several local residents have been in contact with me regarding the seriousness of the Mangala Bridge proposal and the widening of the Grange Road proposal, which are proposals, which lay in the hands of the National Transport Authority (NTA) – and are not voted upon by the elected members of Cork City Council.
As part of the NTA’s Kinsale Road to Douglas Bus Corridor proposal, a 20 metre wide bridge is being proposed over the Ballybrack stream valley from Donnybrook Hill to the Carrigaline Road. The proposed bridge for buses, cars and bicycles over the green space would take out huge sections of Ballybrack Woods – possibly over 50 %.
A second proposal is to bring the Grange Road boundary 4-5 metres closer to houses fronting onto the road including Shamrock Close, Shamrock Drive and Grange Avenue – to eliminate the current tree line and to replant trees at new locations along the proposed new road.
I know how much the Mangala space is used and cherished by the local population as well as the Grange Road boundary.
The main website is www.busconnects.ie/cork/ where the different bus corridor proposals can also be viewed. P.46 of the Kinsale Road to Douglas proposed bus corridor has the colour version of the map I have copied on the back of the letter.
https://busconnects.ie/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/STC-K-Kinsale-Road-to-Douglas-20.06.22-FA-WEB.pdf
I have also posted a short film on YouTube outlining the areas effected; search for “Save Ballybrack Woods”.
Please make an online submission on Bus Connects Cork at www.busconnects.ie/cork/ or by pen. Be honest and write about how you feel about the proposal.
In light of the seriousness of the proposals and the many queries I am getting from local residents, I will host an information meeting on this Thursday evening, 25 August, 6.30-7pm on Inchvale Road green, next to the entrance to St Columbas Schools where further queries can be asked.
Cllr McCarthy: Welcome for the Public Consultation on Road Safety Plans for Our Lady of Lourdes School Junctions, 15 August 2022
Cllr McCarthy noted: “In the last few weeks Cork City Council has been successful in its bid to a Central Government Road safety scheme to implement measures at the junctions adjacent Our Lady of Lourdes School. The provision of funding is very positive and responds to much public and local political pressure over many years to make the junctions safer”.
Independent Cllr Kieran McCarthy warmly welcomes proposals now out to public consultation for road safety measures at the junctions of Bellair Estate, Ballinlough Road and Wallace’s Avenue. The proposals include the construction of two table top raised areas at the junctions of Bellair Estate and Ballinlough Road, and Wallace’s Avenue with Ballinlough Road, respectively, and a zebra crossing from Our Lady of Lourdes School to the current Bean Brownie shop.
“It is also proposed to reconstruct and improve footpaths in the vicinity of both junctions, and modify and improve public lighting, road markings and road signage. In the early discussions on design a controlled crossing was ruled out due to people’s driveways adjacent to the junction”, concluded Cllr McCarthy.
The public consultation is open from Wednesday 3 August 2022 until 4pm on Thursday 15 September 2022.
The full set of drawings and maps are on Cork City Council’s Online Consultation Portal at https://consult.corkcity.ie or at the public reception desk of Cork City Council, City Hall, Anglesea Street, Cork between the hours of 9am-4pm, Monday to Friday excluding bank holidays.
View the project here: Part 8 Planning – L1005 Ballinlough Road Junction Improvement Scheme | Cork City Council’s Online Consultation Portal
Submissions and observations with respect to the proposed development can be made on the Consult website above or in writing to “Executive Engineer, Traffic Operations, Room 338, City Hall, Anglesea Street, Cork”.
Public Consultation Launch of Road Safety Improvements at Ballinlough Road, Wallace’s Avenue and Bellair Estate Junctions, 4 August 2022
In the last few weeks though funding for a second but separate Cork City Council project/ contract for the top of the junction of Bellair Estate with Ballinlough Road has also come to fruition. This is a response to public and local political pressure over many years to make the junction safer.
The proposals include the construction of two table top raised areas at the junctions of Bellair Estate and Ballinlough Road, and Wallace’s Avenue with Ballinlough Road, respectively, and a zebra crossing from Our Lady of Lourdes School to the current Bean Brownie shop. In the early discussions on design a controlled crossing was ruled out due to people’s driveways adjacent to the junction.
It is also proposed to reconstruct and improve footpaths in the vicinity of both junctions, and modify and improve public lighting, road markings and road signage.
The public consultation is open from Wednesday 3 August 2022 until 4pm on Thursday 15 September 2022.
The full set of drawings and maps are on Cork City Council’s Online Consultation Portal at https://consult.corkcity.ie or atthe public reception desk of Cork City Council, City Hall, Anglesea Street, Cork between the hours of 9am-4pm, Monday to Friday excluding bank holidays.
Submissions and observations with respect to the proposed development can be made on the Consult website above or in writing to “Executive Engineer, Traffic Operations, Room 338, City Hall, Anglesea Street, Cork.
South East Bus Connects Corridors with the National Transport Authority, 26 July 2022
View the Mangala Bridge Proposal:
Well Road Bus Corridor Proposals, pages 50, 51 & 52:
https://busconnects.ie/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/STC-J-Mahon-to-City-20.07.22-WEB.pdf
How to find out more and have your say:
Public information events, hosted by the National Transport Authority on the proposed bus corridors, are on Wednesday 27 July 2pm -7pm and on Thursday 28 July 9am – 2pm at Nemo Rangers GAA Club. It is crucial affected residents attend the public information events and put forward comments and/or concerns, and send in submissions to the consultation process.
The NTA will be holding a series of Community Forums beginning on Monday, 12th September 2022. Further information will be posted on the Bus Connect website in the coming weeks. To register your interest for these Community Forums, please email corkstc@busconnects.ie with your name, Community, Residents or Special Interest Group and the Sustainable Transport Corridor of interest.
For further information on BusConnects Cork, please visit: www.busconnects.ie/cork. To review the STC proposals in detail, and to have your say, please visit: www.consult.nationaltransport.ie.
The closing date for receipt of first round submissions is Monday, 3 October 2022.
Well Road Bus Connects Project, 24 July 2022
In the last few days, the National Transport Authority flyered homes along Well Road outlining the proposed Bus Connects corridor route.
A handful of people have been in contact with me noting that they heard of the information being delivered but did not get the information. If you have not received the material, please email me kieran_mccarthy@corkcity.ie or contact me by phone at phone at 087 655 3389.
The main website is www.busconnects.ie/cork/ and the Well Road plans are contained under proposed Bus Corridor K, Kinsale Road to Douglas under pages 50-52.
https://busconnects.ie/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/STC-K-Kinsale-Road-to-Douglas-20.06.22-FA-WEB.pdf
The current draft plan contains very dramatic interventions to widen Well Road such as compulsory purchase orders – please note the draft proposal of taking up and over 2m from a large number of front gardens on Well Road.
The proposals are being led by the National Transport Authority, whose planning authority will be An Bord Pleanála.
In otherwords, the plans will not be formally voted in the City Council chamber. It is my personal view that such a removal of local decision making processes is to be deplored.
A number of residents have been already in contact with me so far and are very upset by the proposed changes. If residents have questions or comments, I can still field them in the City Council Chamber or at the Roads Strategic Policy Committee meetings. My contact details are above.
Public information events, hosted by the National Transport Authority on the proposed bus corridors, are on Wednesday 27 July 2pm -7pm and on Thursday 28 July 9am – 2pm at Nemo Rangers GAA Club. It is crucial affected residents attend the public information events and put forward comments and/or concerns, and send in submissions to the consultation process.
The Mangala Bridge Proposal, Public Meeting No.2, Friday 22 July, 6.30pm
As noted in my flyer to houses in Donnybrook and in (some of- photocopying issues!) my Maryborough Woods flyers this week, I note I will host another Q & A meeting on Friday 22 July 2022, 6.30pm, Ballybrack Woods.
The meeting is on the flat green area by the stream at the proposed site of the bridge, next to the central tree in the picture.
Last week’s meeting was targeted at the social media market but I got alots of emails and calls during the week recommending another meeting for those not on social media.
So Many thanks to the flyering team yesterday and today. Over 1500 houses were flyered. We put in alot of steps 
And there may be people on social media who missed the meeting last Friday, are seeing this, and want to attend
But if you are concerned and are up to speed with the bridge proposal, don’t leave your submission to someone else.
It doesn’t have to be an epic submission, but why the woods is important to you.Make your submission here: https://busconnects.ie/cork/
We Can and we Will stop this together.#saveballybrackwoods#savethemangalaView the scale of the Mangala bridge proposal and what it impacts here, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TDkqzvd8qe8
My thanks as well to all those I met last evening at the public meeting on Boreenmanna Road, and the calls and emails that came into from the Shamrock Lawn area today.
Cllr McCarthy: Shock and Anger at Environmental Vandalism Proposal, 15 July 2022:
“A shocking act of environmental vandalism” is how Independent Cllr Kieran McCarthy has described the proposal by the National Transport Authority to place a 20 metre wide bridge to facilitate bus and cars over Ballybrack Woods from Donnybrook Hill to Maryborough Woods as part of the Grange to Douglas Bus Corridor.
To view the plans, log onto busconnects.ie
Cllr McCarthy noted: “This is a shocking act of environmental vandalism. Yes there is a need to improve the nature of public transport in the city and in the south east of the city but not at the expense of demolishing half a woodland to do it”. “One just can’t have one climate action agenda dominating over a dozen other climate action priorities. They are all important. In this case, it is literally being proposed, amongst other concepts to eliminate the last green lungs of Douglas, to seriously interfere with a biodiversity corridor, and to remove a significant site of enormous health and well-being added value from its surrounding communities”.
“What is also shocking and very disappointing coming from the NTA is the downplaying of a such a removal of urban forestry. Their proposal is hidden away in its series of online bus corridors map proposals, which require the citizen to have a detailed knowledge of map reading and ready access to their own measuring tape”. “The consultation and info sessions are taking place during July when people are away on holidays and people are just beginning to feel freedom post a very tough two years of COIVD”.
“The communication to local communities of the detail of proposals has been shocking and instead of leading to support from communities or encouraging support for change have led directly and certainly led to fear, anger, grief, panic and sadness amongst my constituents. Supposed partnership has turned into a battleship”. “At this moment in time I have no confidence at all in the NTA to deliver the Cork Bus Connects programme that will enhance the city’ public transport in a sustainable and inclusive way”, concluded Cllr Kieran McCarthy.
Kieran’s circulated letter to Residents, Douglas Road Bus Connects Corridor, 8 July 2022
I spent a good few hours yesterday and today back out on Douglas Road on its northern side and on Maryborough Hill flyering and speaking to a good cross section of house owners.
There is much upset and anger. It also seems that not all houses have got info from the National Transport Authority who are the lead authority on this project with An Bord Pleaneála.The Maryborough to Douglas Road bus corridor proposal is here at https://busconnects.ie/…/STC-I-Maryborough-to-City-29…
I will get my head around the Mangala bridge proposal in the short few days ahead as well as Boreenmanna Road bus corridor proposal.But thanks to everyone so far for their calls and emails. This is all info I can raise in the City Council Chamber at least and on the Roads Strategic Policy Committee.
More info at https://busconnects.ie/cork/ and in my letter to residents below. NB please make submissions.
Plus please attend the public information events, hosted by the National Transport Authority on the proposed bus corridors, which are on Wednesday 27 July, 2pm to 7pm and on Thursday 28 July, 9am-2pm at Nemo Rangers GAA Club.
Kieran’s Letter
Dear Resident,
In the last few days, the National Transport Authority flyered homes along Douglas Road outlining the proposed Bus Connects corridor route.
A handful of people have been in contact with me noting that they heard of the information being delivered but did not get the information. If you have not received the material, please contact me by phone at 087 655 3389 or email at kieran_mccarthy@corkcity.ie.
The plan is ambitious but proposes very dramatic changes to the roadscape in order to future proof public transport across the city. The proposals are being led by the National Transport Authority, whose planning authority will be An Bord Pleanála.
In otherwords, the plans will not be formally voted in the City Council chamber. It is my personal view that such a removal of local decision making processes is to be deplored.
A number of residents have been in contact with me so far and are very upset by the proposed changes. If residents have questions or comments, I can still field them in the City Council Chamber or at the Roads Strategic Policy Committee meetings. My contact details are above.
Public information events, hosted by the National Transport Authority on the proposed bus corridors, are on Wednesday 27 July 2pm -7pm and on Thursday 28 July 9am – 2pm at Nemo Rangers GAA Club. It is crucial affected residents attend the public information events and put forward comments and/or concerns, and send in submissions to the consultation process.
The main website is www.busconnects.ie/cork/
I remain at your disposal for any help,
Sincerely,
_________________
Cllr Kieran McCarthy
