Maritime Activities

2.       Observations

a.       Section of document = Volume 2, Mapped Objectives.  Chapter = Zoning Maps

b.      Topic = Zoning Maps.

c.       Short title to observation = “Zoning appropriate for a Multi-use Maritime Recreation Hub”

d.      Your comment =

As a partnership, we welcome the strategic overview of green and blue infrastructure contained in the draft City Development Plan (Strategic Objective 5).  We are delighted to see the recognition given to the recreational, natural and cultural heritage value of the River Lee, and the commitments to improving access and encouraging greater use of the water (eg Strategic Consolidation and Regeneration Areas Objectives; 2 City Docks).

We made a joint submission to the 2020 Pre-plan Public Consultation on the CDP proposing that a Maritime Activities Centre with associated public slipway be included as an objective in the Plan.  A site for the centre at the east end of the Marina within the Marina Park was identified, and is in accordance with 2013 Marina Park Masterplan.

The draft CDP does not include an objective for a Maritime Activities Centre directly but does refer to provision for multi-use sport/ recreational hubs (Objective 6.20); new active recreational infrastructure to improve access to the river at City Docks; encouraging water-based leisure activities and land site facilities such as rowing, light craft and swimming at City Docks (Objectives 10.20 and 10.30); and to working with stakeholders to facilitate safe, improved accessibility to the water, including the River Lee (Objective 6.3).  There are also objectives on the provision of socially inclusive, multi-functional and diverse community facilities and to promote the co-location and sharing of community, enterprise, recreation and open space infrastructure to create community hubs (Objectives 3.14 and 3.17).

We would like to see a land use zoning objective for the site identified at the east end of Marina Park (Zoning Map 5) that does not preclude the provision of a Maritime Activities Centre/Hub with slipway.  The centre/hub needs to house facilities for a variety of water sports uses combined with additional ancillary community uses (boat building workshop; community enterprise and learning facilities for youth and adults; marine search and recovery service; associated office space).  As a collective, the opportunities we provide for access to healthy sport activities for a broad range of people from varied backgrounds are financed from a combination of public programmes, community enterprise activities and membership fees together with significant input from volunteers.  These areas of our combined operations are interdependent and cannot be separated.

The site designation at present is Public Open Space (ZO 16).  We leave it to the Planning Directorate to determine the appropriate zoning objective, but we note that specific lands in City Docks identified for playing pitches at Kennedy Spine and Marquee Road/Centre Park Road (para. 10.65, Volume 1) are zoned as Sports Grounds and Facilities (ZO 17).  That zoning objective can include ancillary uses.

There is a planning precedent for a rowing clubhouse complex and launching facilities at this Marina Park location within a Public Open Space designation.  Approval was granted by the Council in 2009 and upheld by An Bord Pleanála in 2010 (TP08/33263; PL 28.234211).  In the report of the Bord Pleanála inspector (R234211) it was clearly stated that the proposed development complied with the zoning objective for the site.  However this application was for a sports club only.

A feasibility study into the potential of the site for a maritime multi-activity centre and slipway was completed in 2018 by Karan Thompson Consulting and Ove Arup and Partners Limited.  The study was funded as an action in the Cork City Local Economic & Community Plan via the Healthy Ireland Fund.

e.       Keywords  Multi-use sport/recreational/community hub; water activities; maritime culture

f.        Observation summary

g.      Add attachments

h.      Mark / Outline your area of interest on the interactive map = areas below