Section 10.212 points out the need for more leisure activities and accessible green space. I thoroughly agree with this statement. The regional park is lovely and a tremendous asset for Ballincollig, but as Cork moves towards developing a 15-minute city there needs to be more leisure activities and accessible green space spread throughout the town, not just concentrated in the park.
Recommendation: the need for more leisure activities and accessible green space is included in an objective.
Section 10.214 describes the public realm improvement scheme on Main Street as having prioritised pedestrians and cyclists over private cars. The widened footpaths have done a great deal to promote the walkability of Ballincollig, but it is still extremely unpleasant to cycle through. Both sides of the road have space for parked cars. Cycling down the Main Street requires constant awareness of people opening car doors and drivers pulling out into traffic. Objective 10.56 discusses the renovation of Main Street and Times Square. I propose that in this renovation all public parking is removed along the Main Street except for the necessary number of disabled spaces. There are hundreds of parking spaces in the multi-story at Dunnes and the public car park behind the Main Street, the thirty that are on the Main Street are unnecessary and a public nuisance.
Section 10.216 describes a good quality cycle network on Old Fort Road and Main Street. Sections of the cycle are very good and the council is to be commended for installing bollards along Main Street, which has made cycling along Main Street possible, particularly at school drop-off and pick-up times. However, the connections between the cycle lanes are lacking and seriously impede the possibility to cycle safely. For example, cycling from Colaiste Choilm to Ballincollig Community School--the cycle lane starts strong, then disappears at an intersection, comes back, disappears at the next intersection. A cyclist would need to turn right to get to Old Fort Road, which requires either pushing a bike as a pedestrian or riding in the middle of the land of traffic. Having turned onto Old Fort Road, there is no cycle lane until one appears past the McDonald's and then crosses Old Fort Road and becomes a bidirectional cycle route outside the Carraig Centre. I recommend a re-do of the cycle route that provides a continuous and protected route.
Section 10.220 identifies the former Supernova and the Maglin Urban Expansion Area as locations for new school developments. Many of the schools in Ballincollig are at or over capacity and new schools are needed. Ideally the location of the schools, particularly secondary schools, would be dispersed so that it is feasible for more pupils to walk or cycle to school. The locations in Maglin are preferable to the former Supernova.