Hinterland Villages (Baseline population)

Section 10.91 of the draft CDP states “To limit the development of residential developments in the hinterland settlements of Kerry Pike, Killeens and Upper Glanmire to no more than 10% population growth over the lifetime of the Plan. Any further residential proposals must set out how developments will tie into the village and provide adequate pedestrian and cycling linkages to the village”.

With specific reference to Kerry Pike, section 10.340 states that the existing population of the village is 496 people with 177 households. The Cobh Municipal District Local Area Plan 2017 (LAP) Cork County Council presented a figure of 174 houses in the Kerry Pike settlement in 2015.  Given the scale of development that has occurred in Kerry Pike in recent years, with at least 180 houses constructed in the recent past (see extract below from An Bord Pleanála Inspector’s report ABP 308657-20) and the additional planning applications which are currently under consideration by Cork City Council for additional residential development in the area, the figure presented in Section 10.340 of the draft CDP is clearly incorrect. 

I suggest that clarity around the baseline ‘existing population’ is required, so that the any future proposed developments can be assessed against a clearly defined criterion, rather than an ambiguous limit which will be more difficult to assess.   

Extract from ABP-308657-20 Inspector’s report, February 2021:  Permissions from before the adoption of the current LAP have been/are being implemented with 180 houses constructed and occupied to date. (Table 5.2.1 of the LAP did not show these houses as it simply stated the number built, as distinct from permitted, between 2005 – 2015). Since the adoption of the current LAP, time extension permissions for 38 houses have been granted and new permissions for 43 have been granted. These figures disaggregate as follows:

• Time extension permissions:
  • 18/4591: 32 houses – to be commenced “shortly”
  • 18/6729: 6 houses – commencement unknown
• New permissions:
  • 19/4570: 21 houses – commencement unknown
  • 19/4557: 22 houses – building commencement notices served