Submission on Cork City Development Plan 2022 - 2028 Stage 1

How best can we increase the percentage of people using active travel (walking and cycling) and public transport in the city?

• Ensure that residential and commercial developments are located near quality active and public transport links.
• Increase the density of developments near such quality transport links so more people have access to them
• Make it a condition of planning for commercial developments that they meet minimum standards for cycle facilities and bike spaces
• Reduce the number of existing on street car parking spaces to encourage people to move towards more sustainable transport options
• Reduce the number of car parking spaces granted to new developments while increasing the cycle and pedestrian infrastructure
• Discourage new developments that are not serviced (and are unlikely to be serviced in future) by quality transport links. Such developments only encourage greater car dependency with associated increase in congestion and emissions.
• Prevent urban sprawl into green belt areas. The undeveloped areas between Cork city proper and surrounding towns and villages should be protected where possible.
• Leisure walking and cycling can be promoted by developing scenic areas and routes for people to use e.g. walking routes and linear parks along the river. There are many international examples of projects to improve the public realm in waterfront locations (Paris, Buenos Aires etc.). Specific areas in Cork where such an approach could be taken include:
  • Developing the riverside area between the Marina and Kennedy Quay as a linear park/public amenity space. This could form part of the development plans for the south docklands in the years ahead.
  • Re-purpose existing riverside quays in the city centre for leisure and active travel (walking/cycling) e.g. the proposed Morrison’s Island works could be further improved by including more trees and green spaces and removing all car parking provision. This would encourage walking and cycling in the area.
• Signature projects such as the Lea to Sea greenway would attract public attention and demonstrate the benefits of active travel.

How do we make our city more compact to avoid undesirable sprawl and increase the delivery of walkable city neighbourhoods and urban towns that are highly accessible by public transport?

Encourage and plan for higher density residential and commercial developments in the city centre and areas near the city centre. This includes increasing building heights where necessary to ensure compact development. There is no reason why the south docklands, for example, should not support buildings of between 10 and 30 storeys where necessary. A direct comparison can be made between the Dublin docklands (which have been largely developed) and the Cork docklands (which are largely undeveloped but with significant potential). Dublin missed an opportunity to develop its docklands sufficiently by imposing onerous height restrictions. Cork should not make the same mistake and should plan for taller buildings in appropriate areas. This will lead to more compact development within walking distance of the city centre and result in less sprawl.

In addition, taller buildings can also allow more of the remaining ground area to be given to public parks, plazas, recreation areas etc. In Dublin, the vast majority of the docklands area is now taken up with 8 storey buildings, with very little area given to public realm or recreational use. Cork should zone for higher buildings in conjunction with parks and public amenity areas to create vibrant and liveable neighbourhoods which encourage people to live centrally.

Plan for development along existing and planned public transport corridors and limit developments in areas that are not connected by quality transport links which will only increase car dependency. The proposed commuter rail line development will make places like Blackpool, Tivoli and Blarney/Stoneview very suitable for compact development as they will be well connected to the city. By contrast, areas near Maryborough Hill and parts of Glanmire do not currently have quality transport links to the city and continuing development in these areas without associated improvements to transport infrastructure risks increasing car dependency and sprawl.

Discourage and place limits on the extent of development in the green belt areas between Cork city proper and the surrounding towns. This issue occurred in Dublin where the satellite towns (e.g. Tallaght, Lucan, Blanchardstown) and the areas between them and the city underwent significant low density development over the last number of decades. This has resulted in increased congestion and emissions, long commutes and resulting quality of life issues. Cork must avoid some of the mistakes that Dublin has made in the last number of decades in order to avoid such undesirable sprawl.

How do we ensure the most effective use of land, infrastructure and resources, while balancing the need to retain the character, landscape, urban form and environmental qualities of Cork City?

Aim for medium and higher density development located in well serviced areas to achieve the optimal balance of quality living and access to limited resources. Developments should respect the city’s culture and the natural environment. Protected structures should be incorporated tastefully into new developments when this arises. The Navigation Square and Penrose Dock developments are examples of new developments that have successfully incorporated existing structures and facades. In addition, the locations of buildings within the natural environment is important. For example, the higher density development planned in the south docklands area should allow for the riverfront to be protected as a public amenity. This is the best way of enhancing and making the best use of the River Lee in such areas.

How can energy efficiency and effectiveness be improved within the next city development plan?

• Aim for increased use of solar panels in new developments, both residential and commercial.
• Encourage the retro fitting of existing buildings to improve energy efficiency
• Financially incentivise new developments to have the highest quality for energy efficiency, install roof gardens etc.

What are the best means of increasing the greening throughout the city, including local, neighbourhood and city scale greening projects?

Increase the space that is allocated to green areas. Fitzgerald’s Park is an excellent amenity on the western edge of the city centre. However, the city centre area does not have enough green areas/parks when compared to other cities e.g. St Stephen’s Green in Dublin. The development of the docklands area provides an opportunity to incorporate more large scale greening in an area that is close to the city centre. Certain parcels of land or blocks in the area should be reserved for parks in addition to what is already planned for in the Marina Park.

Encourage the planting of trees on both a small to medium scale on city streets and river front areas and a larger scale in existing parks. The greening of the city should be progressed in line with pedestrianizing streets. The additional room from removing cars from city streets can be devoted to pedestrian movement as well as a significant increase in trees. As an example, the Morrisson’s Island improvement works could incorporate significantly more trees along the length of river it covers. The benefit of having a tree lined, pedestrian friendly space here would far outweigh the benefit of its use as a car park or through road.

Encourage green landscaping in park and public realm developments rather than hard landscaping. For example, the proposed Bishop Lucey park development would preferably incorporate more green elements (trees, landscaped garden, wild flora etc.). Green landscaping is not only visually more attractive but is also a more environmentally sound approach.

What needs to be done to increase use of public transport over the coming decade?

Public transport should be incentivised through the following means:

• Simplified fare structure as proposed under the BusConnects project. This will allow multiple connecting journeys under the same fare and reduce lag times at bus stops.
• More dedicated bus lanes. Currently the level of bus segregation is completely inadequate meaning that bus journeys are unnecessarily long. Bus journey times need to come done relative to car journey times to encourage more widespread use.
• Where necessary, land take or the reallocation of general traffic lanes for bus/cycle provision needs to happen e.g. strategic transport corridors such as the South Link road, N20 Blackpool bypass, Wilton Rd etc.
• Ensure that any new road infrastructure being built in the city has quality public transport provision incorporated into them. For example, the redesign of the roads in the South Docks area should allow for the necessary space to facilitate bus lanes/light rail corridor etc.
• Significant provision of park and ride facilities and upgrade of existing facilities where necessary. New park and ride facilities should be developed at transport nodes on the outskirts of the city to allow people to travel to the city centre in sustainable modes and remove car traffic and associated congestion/emissions from this area. As per CMATS, park and ride should be developed for the proposed light rail route in Ballincollig while the commuter rail should have park and ride at Blarney and Dunkettle.

In your view, what are the key priorities to enhance Cork’s regional and international connectivity?

• Delivery of M28 to facilitate the Port of Cork to move from the city centre/Tivoli and allow the sustainable development of these areas to commence.
• Delivery of M20 Cork to Limerick motorway
• Delivery of high speed rail link to Dublin, facilitating inter-city travel in 60 to 90 minutes

How do we address issues of retail vacancy and dereliction in the City Centre and other urban and neighbourhood centres?

Take the example of North Main Street, which currently suffers from dereliction. The buildings, particularly the upper floors, should be made available for residential use. This will improve the vibrancy and appearance of the street while also achieving a level of infill development that respects the built heritage of the area.

On Patrick Street, which has been designated for high street retail, gradually allow an increased variety of uses such as high end hospitality to combat the dereliction issue when traditional stores close.

What are the important issues facing the City Hinterland area within the time period of the next City Plan and beyond? How do we best plan for these?

The proliferation of one off housing and sprawled housing developments is a major issue for rural areas. Existing green areas need to be protected. The best way to plan for this is to designate that development only occurs in well serviced areas with current or proposed quality transport links. Isolated developments and one off housing should be discouraged.

How do we design in measures which make our open spaces, parks, public realm etc inviting, welcoming and safe to citizens and visitors?

• Ensure public realm is permeable, allowing access on foot and by bicycle where appropriate.
• Ensure public places have appropriate lighting.
• Make visitor attractions well sign posted for tourists
• Make the entrances to parks as accessible as possible. For example, the proposed Marina Park would benefit by having the direct route along the river protected for public use as it would make the park more accessible to the city centre. Also, Tramore Valley Park can be made more accessible by opening access via Half Moon Lane.
• Reduce road speed limits in areas where open spaces and parks are heavily used for recreational purposes
• Where necessary, public amenities (e.g. walking and cycle routes) should be monitored and patrolled to prevent the incidence of anti-social behaviour.