Category Archives: Ward Development

Cllr McCarthy: Douglas Road BusConnects Proposed Route Involves Dramatic Change, 5 July 2022

Climate Action, Kieran's Council Work, Landscapes, Uncategorized, Ward Development

Independent Cllr Kieran McCarthy asks householders with concerns on the proposed BusConnects route from Maryborough Hill through Douglas Road to submit to the consultation process and to attend the consultation meetings.

Read more here: A, Dunkettle to City Centre, Sustainable Transport Corridor Emerging Preferred Route, Public Consultation June 2022 (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. What I particularly don’t like is the over-riding of public reps and their decision making processes and their knowledge of localised roads needs on the ground. I am receiving a lot of calls and emails from locals asking for City Council members to intervene but on this enormous set of plans, the local Council members have been dismissed, and the National Transport Authority is now the key decision maker. The further centralising of public reps powers to national level is to be deplored”.

“If local residents have questions they can still contact me. I am already hearing from local residents who have concerns on the widening of Douglas Road and the proposal to take a large number of property strips of land from 96 private gardens along Douglas Road. The removal of 91 on-street parking spaces is also proposed along the western section of Douglas Road. To achieve some of this. a new area of replacement parking is proposed by the entrance to St Finbarr’s Hospital”, continued Cllr McCarthy.

“In sections where buildings are located close to the road and it is not possible to provide bus lanes, it is proposed that an outbound (towards Maryborough Hill) bus priority will be provided using traffic lights that will hold back general traffic during times of congestion. Traffic as well would not be able to continue inbound from Bellair estate straight through to Southern Road”, concluded Cllr McCarthy.

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. Cllr McCarthy further added that it is crucial affected residents attend the public information events and put forward comments and concerns.

Marina Promenade Project, 23 June 2022

Climate Action, Cork History, Improve Your Life, Kieran's Council Work, S.E. Ward Local History, Uncategorized, Ward Development, Ward Events
Marina Promenade Project, 23 June 2022
Marina Promenade Project, 23 June 2022 (image: Cork City Council)
Marina Promenade Project, 23 June 2022 (image: Cork City Council)
Marina Promenade Project, 23 June 2022 (image: Cork City Council)

Lots of people have asked over the past two years is there a plan to resurface the Marina Walk with a more amenable surface. The old concrete in many places is broken and is dangerous to the walker. So I am delighted to see the Marina Promenade progressing now to public consultation.

The project will in essence restore the road to its original state as a walkway (see the images attached). It is also more or less 150 years to the day since the name The Marina, named after a walkway in Palermo, Sicily, replaced the name Navigation Wall. So this public call is very apt.

Details:

Cork City Council is asking residents, communities, businesses, and other key stakeholders to have their say on a proposed upgrading of the Marina which will further enhance the much-loved amenity for pedestrians, cyclists and people with disabilities.

Today, it published a planning notice seeking Part 8 planning permission on the promenade which was pedestrianised nearly two years ago.

The project team are seeking to repurpose approximately 1.8km of the existing Marina Promenade to deliver a combined footpath-cycle path and improved public spaces.

The plans also provide for the creation of plazas, balconies and new seating areas at intervals along the Marina.Public lighting will be replaced between Church Avenue and Blackrock Harbour and new public lighting and feature lighting installed between Centre Park Road and Church Avenue.

As is currently, the Marina promenade will remain car free from Centre Park Road to Church Avenue (1.5 km) with a shared 6-metre-wide surface for pedestrians and cyclists, widening to 7.0m at the filtered permeability gate at Church Avenue. Similarly, car access will be maintained for residents on Church Ave and those living north of Church Ave on the Marina.

The plans also include:

• Provision of new pedestrian and cycle access points from the Marina Promenade into the adjacent Marina Park including Atlantic Pond and the Cork City to Passage West Greenway.• Retention of the iconic formal tree planting along the route

• Protection and enhancement of the natural heritage, green space and biodiversity of the area and the conversion of some footpath areas to green space

• Provision of an access road serving Lee Rowing Club, Pairc Ui Chaoimh/Atlantic Pond and the lands in between.

More detail is available on https://consult.corkcity.ie/en or alternatively, plans & particulars will be available for inspection or purchase on working days at Reception Desk, Cork City Council, City Hall from Thursday 23 June to Thursday 4 August 2022.

Closing date for all submissions is Thursday 18 August 2022 at 4pm.

Kieran, Read more on the history of The Marina on my heritage website, http://corkheritage.ie/?page_id=5989

Marina Promenade Project, 23 June 2022 (image: Cork City Council)
Marina Promenade Project, 23 June 2022 (image: Cork City Council)
Marina Promenade Project, 23 June 2022 (image: Cork City Council)
Marina Promenade Project, 23 June 2022 (image: Cork City Council)

Cllr McCarthy: Priority Needed to Resolve Atlantic Pond Flooding, 13 June 2022

Kieran's Council Work, Uncategorized, Ward Development

Independent Cllr Kieran McCarthy has asked the valve and flooding issue at the Atlantic Pond be prioritised. At this week’s City Council meeting, in response to Cllr McCarthy’s written question, Director of Services David Joyce outlined that the delivery of the proposed works to the outer valve and associated localised quay wall repair has been delayed due to the backlog of work arising from Covid 19 as well as significant workloads associated with other functional areas e.g. planning applications for housing, responding to flooding and other emergency incidents etc.

Mr Joyce noted: “this site consists of a twin valve configuration, with an inner and outer valve. The inner valve is fully functional with the outer vale in need of repair and reinstallation. While this interim configuration is not ideal it does function, albeit without the redundancy of the twin valve setup. The intention is to carry these works as quickly as possible. A sustained period of dry weather will be required to enable the works to proceed”.

Cllr McCarthy highlighted at the City Council meeting: “The Atlantic Pond valve work needs to be accelerated by the end of the year. There was funding of over e.50,000 put aside for the works to proceed this year. It is essential that they proceed and that the funding is not thrown back into the Council’s budget pot. The Atlantic Pond is a fantastic amenity, and its footpaths seem to get regularly flooded during the winter hindering full use of the pond for walkers and amenity users”.

Press Release – Cllr McCarthy: Timeline given on Old Railway Line Greenway Re-opening, May 2022

Cork City Events, Cork History, Improve Your Life, Kieran's Council Work, S.E. Ward Local History, Uncategorized, Ward Development

An update on the Old Railway Line greenway was given to Independent Cllr Kieran McCarthy at last Monday’s City Council meeting.

The Contractor is currently working within the old Blackrock Station. During the course of these works it was necessary to undertake additional conservation and repair work to boundary walls, platforms and adjoining structures. The full extent of this work only became apparent when the overgrowth was fully removed.

Cllr McCarthy noted: “A good few people are asking about the delays to the re-opening of the Old Railway line walk. I questioned the Chief Executive at the last Council meeting and it has been the conservation works around the old Blackrock platform, which has delayed the works. On pulling back the vegetation, the damage on the masonry was worse than expected. I realise that many people are anxious to get back to using a much loved community space. It’s down to a few short weeks now before it’s re-opening”.

Completion works for the new access ramp between the Greenway and the Marina (i.e. through Holland Park) is scheduled to commence in late 2022 as per the original programme. The work on this ramp is staggered to allow for the settlement of the earthwork’s embankment.

The last remaining section of the Passage Greenway Project Phase 1 is scheduled to be fully open to the public in mid-July. The Contractor is likely to have some remaining off line works to complete beyond this date such as the completion of snags etc however this work will not affect users of the Greenway.

Kieran’s May Historical Walking Tours

Arts, Climate Action, Cork City Events, Cork History, Improve Your Life, Kieran's Council Work, Landscapes, S.E. Ward Local History, Uncategorized, Ward Development, Ward Events

Independent Cllr Kieran McCarthy has announced his historical walking tours for May, which have a focus on the hills and views of Cork. He will conduct walks across the area of Tramore Valley Park, St Patrick’s Hill area, and also around the Barrack Street area. The Tramore Valley Park tour will explore the development of the area from being a swamp through to being a landfill and then onto being an artificial mound to enable the development of a park. All of Kieran’s tours are free and no booking is required.

Cllr McCarthy noted: “Cork’s Tramore Valley Park is an exciting addition and recent initiative of Cork City Council. It is great to be able to revisit the cultural heritage of the park and its surrounds with the Kinship arts project this month. Historically William Petty’s 1655 map of the city and its environs marks the site of Tramore Valley Park as Spittal Lands, a reference to the original local environment and the backing up of the Trabeg and Tramore tributary rivers as they enter the Douglas River channel. We are lucky that there is also really interesting perspectives on the area recorded through the ages, which have been great to research”. 

“Walking across the park, one can feel the tension in its sense of place, a place haunted and engineered by its past and teeming with ideas about its future. Of course, there are green spaces scattered across the city but none with the same scale of development and story as the 160 acre site off Kinsale Road. This is a site where the city’s environment has also been a regular topic of debate across local newspapers and in the city’s council political chamber”, concluded Cllr McCarthy.


Kieran’s May Tours:

Saturday 14 May 2022, The Northern Ridge – St Patrick’s Hill to MacCurtain Street; Tour around St Patrick’s Hill – Old Youghal Road to McCurtain Street; meet on the Green at Audley Place, top of St Patrick’s Hill, 2pm (free, duration: two hours, no booking required).

Sunday 22 May 2022, Views from a Park – Tramore Valley Park, historical walking tour in association with the KinShip Project; meet at Halfmoon Lane gate, 2pm (free, duration: 90 minutes no booking required).

Saturday 28 May 2022, The Friar’s Walk; Discover Red Abbey, Elizabeth Fort, Barrack Street, Callanan’s Tower & Greenmount area; Meet at Red Abbey tower, off Douglas Street, 2pm (free, duration: two hours, no booking required).

Ward Watch – Proposals for Mahon Cycle Scheme, May 2022:

Climate Action, Improve Your Life, Kieran's Council Work, Landscapes, Uncategorized, Ward Development
Mahon Cycle Scheme Proposal, May 2022 (Cork City Council)
Mahon Cycle Scheme Proposal, May 2022 (Cork City Council)

If you live in the areas below, it is very important to have a look at these road and public realm changing plans on the link below:

Cork City Council intends to carry out the following traffic management measures on:

Ringmahon Road,

Avenue de Rennes,

Skehard Road,

Ballinsheen Road,

Sean Cronin Park, Ashwood,

Mahon Drive,

Lakeland Crescent,

Loughmahon Road,

Loughmahon Park

and Castle Road

for the safety and convenience of road users, and in response to the public call for more pedestrian safety measures and the fixing of the public realm within the Mahon neighbourhood.

To see the proposed scheme with maps and to comment formally on the plans, click here: Mahon Cycle Scheme | Cork City Council’s Online Consultation Portal

The main elements of the proposed Mahon Cycle Scheme are:

– Renewal of footpaths and enhancements to the public realm.- Installation of upgraded controlled pedestrian crossing facilities.

– Installation of raised table-top ramps and uncontrolled crossing facilities at junctions.

– Installation of circa 5.3 km of cycle infrastructure, including segregated cycle tracks and greenways. – Signalisation of junctions at Ringmahon Road West/Skehard Road, Ringmahon Road/Avenue de Rennes and Skehard Road/Avenue de Rennes.

– Adjustments to the existing road layout, including traffic lanes, parking areas and new road markings and signage.- Other necessary associated works.

The project will be funded by the National Transport Authority, and offers funding heretofore non existent in Cork City Council’s coffers to do any works.

My email is at kieran_mccarthy@corkcity.ie if any clarifications are needed. I did ask that the maps be made easier to read. I was partially successful in that quest.

Kieran’s Press Quote:

“A e6m investment by the National Transport Authority into the heart of Mahon is significant. The funding may come from the National Transport Authority but it is being driven by Cork City Council as a response by local residents and ward councillors like myself calling for substantial investment in the public realm in Mahon”.

“The funding won’t solve all of the area’s crumbling footpaths and roads, but it is a start and does put a huge focus on the principal roads putting in protected cycleways bit also upgrading footpaths. I regularly get correspondence from Mahon residents calling for measures to slow down the traffic, calls to add in new pedestrian crossings, and altogether make it a better and safer area to be able to walk and cross the core roads in the area”.

“This is a big cycle scheme though with over 5.5kms of road space effected. I have called on the engineer involved in the project to have info days for the local community so people can hear about the process behind the project. I would call on all local people to have a look at the scheme on the Cork City Council Consultation web page. Google the latter and the scheme can be reviewed. If there questions and or concerns it is important to put in a submission during the public consultation phase. I have no doubt there will be aspects that local people can support and others that may not gather as much support – but please make a submission – is my call to local people who have concerns”.

McCarthy: Third Draft of New Cork City Development Plan Out to Public Consultation, April 2022

Climate Action, Cork City Events, Improve Your Life, Kieran's Council Work, Landscapes, Uncategorized, Ward Development

Independent Cllr Kieran McCarthy has welcomed “Our City, Our Future”, third draft of Cork City Development Plan, which has gone out to public consultation It which provides an overarching framework to help shape the transformation of the City over the next six years by supporting the creation of 20,000 homes and 33,000 jobs.  

Cllr McCarthy noted: “It provides an exciting and opportunities driven transformative blueprint for Cork as the city sets out upon an exciting phase of growth and change – with sustainability, quality of life, social inclusion, and climate resilience at the plan’s core.  This is the first City Development Plan to include the new city areas such as Douglas, Donnybrook and Rochestown taken in under the 2019 city boundary extension. So there has been a chance to consolidate thinking on improving the quality of life not just in those areas but also in the inner suburbs of Ballinlough, Ballintemple, Blackrock, Mahon and South Docklands”.

 At a meeting of Cork City Council on 15 March 2022, the Elected Members considered the Draft City Development Plan and the Chief Executive’s Report on submissions received.  It was resolved at that meeting by the Elected Members of Cork City Council to amend the Draft Cork City Development Plan 2022-2028.

 Cork City Council Chief Executive, Ann Doherty said: “This next phase of public consultation follows widespread listening and engagement with stakeholders in the first and second rounds of public consultation. I’d like to thank everyone who made a submission to date. We have engaged with a broad church of stakeholders reflecting the diversity of Cork City and the work of the Elected Members on the ground in our city’s communities and this engagement has been integral to the whole process.”

 Cork City Council invites submissions on the Proposed Alterations to the Draft Development Plan. This is the third stage of formal public consultations. Submissions can be made online at https://consult.corkcity.ie/ 

The Draft Cork City Development Plan 2022-2028 is available to view at www.corkcitydevelopmentplan.ie

Cllr McCarthy’s Historical Walking Tours Return

Cork City Events, Kieran's Council Work, Uncategorized, Ward Development

Independent Cllr Kieran McCarthy is to restart his free historical walking tours during the month of April. This month’s tours will be of South Docklands, Fitzgerald’s Park, and The Marina. Cllr McCarthy noted; “It’s been a long wait since the last walking tours I conducted for the general public. It’s been a long two and a half years. In the meantime, I have pursued more research of some of my area tours and have posted them up under my revised history trails section on my Corkheritage. ie website”.

“My Marina tour is one I have tried to sharpen and get more information on and reflect more on its development. The three areas I am re-starting with are all relatively close to each other, but do have their own unique sense of place, their own cultural and built heritage, their own historic angles, and add their own stories to how the city as a whole came into being”, concluded Cllr McCarthy.

Full details of Kieran’s April tours are below, 

▪ Saturday 9 April 2022, Cork South Docklands; Discover the history of the city’s docks, from quayside stories to the City Park Race Course and Albert Road; meet at Kennedy Park, Victoria Road, 2pm, as part of the Cork Lifelong Learning Festival (free, duration: two hours, no booking required). 

  • Sunday 10 April 2022, Fitzgerald’s Park: The People’s Park, meet at band stand, 2pm, in association with Rebound Arts Festival and as part of the Cork Lifelong Learning Festival (free, duration: 90 minutes, no booking required). 
  • Saturday 16 April 2022, The Marina; Discover the history of the city’s promenade, from forgotten artefacts to ruinous follies; meet at western end adjacent Shandon Boat Club, The Marina, 2pm (free, duration: two hours, no booking required). 

Kieran’s Press, Disappointment over overturning of Cork City Council decision, 26 March 2022

Kieran's Council Work, Uncategorized, Ward Development

READ: ‘It makes a mockery’: Disappointment in Douglas over overturning of Lidl decision (echolive.ie)

Independent Cllr Kieran McCarthy has expressed his disappointment of the overturning of Cork City Council’s refusal to grant Lidl planning permission for a new store on the Douglas Relief Road. The overturning came through an appeal to An Bord Pleanala by the developer Lidl Ireland.

Cllr McCarthy noted: “It is an uphill battle to try and bring the concept of sustainability to Douglas especially in the shopping centre areas. Personally, I find such areas devoid of proper or decent public realm space; the public realm is completely hindered by the prominence of car space. Such is the siloised thinking over the years, there isn’t even a pedestrian corridor connecting the centres together”.

Cllr McCarthy continued; “Cork City Council’s planning department in its refusal report specifically mentioned the failure to address the overall master planning set out for the area. It also commented that the design and layout would result in a development that does not provide a high quality active streetscape frontage. Integration in its setbacks into the design of the development and public realm were not addressed in the application. For these reasons and others Cork City planning unit refused permission”.  

“Such refusal reasons, I would deem as straight forward and reasonable. If the plan is not good enough for the local area and given what I would deem solid refusal reasons, I have a huge issue with it being overturned at national level by An Bord Pleanala. It makes a mockery of Cork City Council’s championing of sustainability concepts, plus threatens many aspects in the city’s outgoing development plan and the emerging city development plan. The future of areas such as Douglas need national support more so than the overturning of local decisions”, concluded Cllr McCarthy.

Cllr McCarthy Promotes City Council’s Climate Action Programmes

Climate Action, Improve Your Life, Landscapes, Uncategorized, Ward Development

Independent Cllr Kieran McCarthy has welcomed the ongoing progress of Cork City Council’s Climate Adaptation Strategy and has created and posted a new web page on the Council’s climate action work on his website www.kieranmccarthy.ie. The Council’s Climate Action Committee and the Climate Action Team provide governance and management for all climate actions for which Cork City Council is responsible, including the 66 implementation actions from the Climate Change Adaptation Strategy 2019-2024 and actions contained in the Climate Charter. The majority of these actions are being implemented or ongoing.

Cllr McCarthy noted: “I often get regular requests from students and interested locals on what kind of strands and projects Cork City Council is working on in terms of climate action. The existing and developing programmes are helping to increase resilience on the ground and do tie in with National Climate action programmes. There is a lot going on. There is also some really interesting and innovative partnership work going on in an array of diverse areas from energy, food, green schools, biodiversity, lifelong learning, park development, to funding and supporting Tidytowns and exploring and implementing the sustainable development goals”.

Cllr McCarthy continued; “The City Council’s Climate Action Unit has worked recently with the Glucksman and the Planning Department of UCC to deliver a programme that asked school children what they would do if they had ‘Freedom of the City’. The unit is working with the Public Participation Network and Cork Environmental Forum to support local community groups to develop their own climate action plans”.

“In essence, what I describe as a more innovative urban agenda for Cork is emerging through the lenses of climate action programmes. Such thinking is also emerging as frameworks in the new draft City Development plan. My new web page I have created and posted up on kieranmccarthy.ie pulls together an array of over 30 ongoing City Council led projects, which are very positive for Cork society, provide new innovative angles for Cork’s economic development, and showcase the importance of partnership and leadership”, Cllr McCarthy concluded.

View: Climate Action | Cllr. Kieran McCarthy