Cork City Council Meeting, 13 September 2010

Kieran’s Comments in the Council Chamber

Draft Blackpool Local Area Action Plan

Lord Mayor,

I enjoyed the recent planning tour of Blackpool. However, I think I came back even more disillusioned and even disappointed with the lack of strategies coming forward from our planning unit.

On one level, the document to be approved is a good attempt at renewing the heart of Blackpool village, But I was disappointed to hear from our planning officials that because of the economic climate, perhaps only 10 per cent of the plan would probably be implemented. That means 90% failure.

Now I don’t represent the people of Blackpool but to hear that only 10 % of the plan may be implemented should send alarm bells off. Is this council creating false promises to its citizens? We have already sent the South Parish Local Area Plan through and we will have the Mahon Local area plan go through shortly.

Do we need to change our strategies to maximise our local area Development plans. Should they be more people based, development of our communities more so than urban infrastructure? Is our planning structure strong enough to cope with what is happening in Blackpool?

Blackpool was at one stage was a major industrial hub with distilleries, tanneries providing enormous employment, community structures, a strong and confident community.  It is because of its past that Blackpool has that strong sense of place and pride amongst its residents.

The new bypass on one hand in recent years was needed but Blackpool seemed to be left to die by many stakeholders. The development plan talks about an architectural conservation area which is very true if you look at the fine Maddens buildings opened by the Mayor Paul Madden in 1886, the first attempt by this council to clear some of the slums in the immediate area and create a new core in Blackpool.

However, east of here to Leitrim Street, you have a rotting core, and rot is the best way to describe it. The rot is poisoning the spirit of everything that Blackpool was, is and will be.  Eyesores dragging down the aesthetics of a place, the sense of place and identity – decent Cork citizens living in slum like areas.

Boarded up windows versus no boarded up windows

Falling gutters, rusted shoots, trees and Ivy growing through windows

Large scale concrete rotting urban spaces

The Kiln River, as a dumping ground

There seems to be a lack of strategy and no real will to tackle the property owners.

Way back in 1921, there were also some hard handed property owners, who sat on their property on the burnt out Patrick Street not willing to develop despite a compensation package in place and the Council had to take some of them to court to get them moving.

We still have such property owners today with no sense of civic responsibility waiting for years for property prices to go even higher, not even realising that it is they and their derelict buildings that keep property prices low. They are indeed poisoning the area.

At this juncture as well, I wish to thank those businesses that make an effort – in particular I was taken by the two little restaurants on Leitrim Street, probably not making big bucks, struggling, strained, paying their taxes.

A city on top of its game has to remain on top of its game – remain competitive, come up with new ideas – need to work more with stakeholders – challenge, empower the people of the city to move forward –

Ho we do we get people back living in the city?

We need to remain competitive – The city needs to fight for its share,

In a time of recession, we need to work harder and longer

and unfortunately this document does not do this.