July 2023
Hi, there! — Welcome to the sixteenth edition of my monthly newsletter to keep you up to date on my work for Cork City North East.
This month we have motions on asserting rights of way for amenities, natural play areas for children, the four-day week, and questions about Cork City Council accepting photographs of parking offences from the public. I’ve also included updates on a Kent Station–Glanmire–Little Island cycle network, the public toilets strategy for the city, and plans for new railway stations at Blackpool and Blarney.
Make sure to share this newsletter with your friends and neighbours in the ward. If there’s anything you want to get in touch about, comments on issues in the ward or thoughts on this newsletter, always feel welcome to email me any time at oliver.moran@greenparty.ie.
Many thanks!
Oliver
p.s. Use this link to share this newsletter with your friends and neighbours in the ward ... oliver.ie/newsletter
Motions and notions
Every month, each councillor can submit up to four motions to Cork City Council and ask two formal questions of the Chief Executive. One of these questions is asked at the Local Area Committee and must be about local operational matters.
Before the deadline each month, I meet with my local group, the Cork City North Greens and we agree motions and questions for the month ahead. We call this our “motions and notions” meeting :-)
If you have ideas or suggestions for a motion, or have a question you want asked, just let me know!
Or join the Cork City North Greens ... my.greenparty.ie
Questions
“To ask the Chief Executive if Cork City Council accepts images of parking offences (e.g. parking on footpaths, bus lanes and cycle lanes) via the Customer Service Unit, as described in the report to motion 22/102, and how offences reported in this way are or will be handled (e.g. will fines be issued or the motorist contacted)?”
There will be no regular Local Area Committee meeting this month because of the Summer recess.
Motions
“That, in accordance with Objective 6.16b of the Cork City Development Plan 2022–28, Cork City Council asserts a right of way exists along the route known as Borreen na Coilla between Boherboy Road and Old Youghal Road.”
“That it shall be the policy of Cork City Council to mark the entrances to residential 30km/h slow zones with street-level markings.”
“That Cork City Council will report on the potential to implement a four-day week across the organisation and to pilot reduced working time without loss of pay or productivity for staff.”
“That Cork City Council will develop a nature-based play area as part of the Tinker’s Cross walking trail.”
What’s happening?
Lower Glanmire Road walking and cycling
In the next few weeks, Cork City Council will announce plans for new walking and cycling infrastructure connecting Kent Station to Glanmire and Little Island.
The proposals are part of the accelerated “Pathfinder” project and will be completed by 2025.
The plans will open up the area behind the Harbour Commissioners’ building for a new public space. This will allow the area to be developed as a waterside amenity and for other uses as part of a regeneration plan for the North Docks.
A new walkway and cycleway will be opened that passes behind McMahon’s builders providers and comes out on the Middle Glanmire Road after the Harbour Commissioners building.
That will open a new public area that passes over an old patent slip inside the docks, where a new pedestrian and cycle bridge will be. This is part of plans for BusConnects as well and will eventually join with a boardwalk along the riverside.
I’ve raised the question of improving access to the water for amenity and transport alongside these developments. That’s something that will be worked into plans for regeneration of the North Docks but these plans give a taste of what will be possible.
Initially, that connection will be developed in an interim fashion for speed of delivery and the boardwalk will be completed as part of BusConnects.
Plans for a linear park along Horgan’s Quay that are currently part of BusConnects will be developed in this way too. In the first stage, it will be an interim measure followed by the eventual delivery under BusConnects.
In the wider picture, the plan will mean a safe walking, cycling and scooting route connecting the city centre, Glanmire and Little Island. There’s enormous demand for that to give people better options to access the city for work and college.
Details of the proposals will be published on consult.corkcity.ie over the Summer months.
Public toilets return to the city
Last month, I sought a report from officials on the progress of the city’s public toilets strategy. The most significant news is that public toilets are back on Grand Parade. These are now located next to the Cork City Library on the Grand Parade.
These new facilities provide an accessible toilet and baby changing unit, as well as a unisex toilet. The toilets are supervised at all times, with contactless payment of 50c to use. The now disused on-street toilets will be removed.
These are in addition to public toilets located in the North Main Street shopping centre, which provide male, female, accessible toilet, and a baby changing unit.
The city is also working on developing a “Take a Seat” initiative, where businesses will be encouraged to offer a portion of on-street seating for older people, who wish to relax without feeling they need to make a purchase. As part of the initiative, people could avail of a glass of water and use the business’s toilet, if required.
The city has also opened toilets in a number of parks, but none on the northside. This is an omission I highlighted to officials and suggested the Glen River Park for public facilities located in a park on the northside.
New trains and stations arriving
In June, I paid a visit to view new prototype trains in Inchicore railway works. These are new fully-electric trains on order by Irish Rail for use in Dublin and Cork.
The Cork Metropolitan Area Transport Strategy (CMATS) plans for the transformation of public transport in the wider Cork city area. It’s very clear that Irish Rail are committed to delivering a transformation of commuter rail exactly as it’s described in the CMATS.
That means new stations and a commuter service running every ten minutes between Mallow, Cork and Cobh/Midleton, with a train every five minutes on an overlap between Kent Station and Glounthaune.
There’s already €185m of works underway upgrading the line. However, these are all engineering works. They’re vital to delivering the project, but they’re not visible to commuters directly.
During the visit to Inchicore, I was told Irish Rail want to go for planning permission for new stations at Blackpool and Blarney “in the next 12 months”.
The Blarney plans will include a Park and Ride finally for the northside. That has the promise to really make a difference for people. It’s rumoured that the Blackpool station will connect directly to the retail park using an overbridge. A Park and Ride will also likely be proposed for a new station at Dunkettle.
Construction won’t begin until 2026 because there’s a sequence of engineering works that need to be in place first. The new commuter stations will need to share the line with intercity services that are already there. The new all-electric trains will also need new depots to charge their batteries.
However, I know from talking to Eamon Ryan, he’s committed to delivering these in Cork. This means a step-change in public transport in Cork that’s long been talked about is finally just around the corner.
In the news…
Locals calling on EU to designate Murphy’s Rock a Special Area of Conservation
In an amendment by Green Party councillor, Oliver Moran, the valley has now been identified as a significant amenity, with a view to establishing it as a park.
Echo, Friday, 9 June
Renewed calls for better safety measures after bus collides with the railway bridge in Blackpool
Green Party City Councillor Oliver Moran had proposed that HGV restrictions should be imposed between the IDA site at Dublin Hill and Blackpool.
96FM, Monday, 12 June
Rural Independents Group criticise decision to deny permit for Barryroe Offshore Energy
Green Party Cllr Oliver Moran says Cork’s future is in green energy, using offshore wind that the Port of Cork is involved in developing.
RedFM News, Wednesday, 21 June
Keep in touch
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Have a great month!
