June 2023
June 2023
Hi, there! — Welcome to the fifteenth 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 tree cutting during nesting season, improving the visual appearance of the city’s docklands, and questions about the city’s strategy to improve access to the river for amenities and transport. I’ve also included updates on pedestrian and public transport upgrades for the Banduff Road, an upcoming oral hearing into the Cork commuter rail network, and Ireland’s progress on meeting our climate obligations.
Make sure to share this newsletter with your friends and neighbours in the ward. If ever there’s anything you want to get in touch about, whether it is comments or feedback on local issues or thoughts on this newsletter, please 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 ... 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 for the city’s strategy for improving access to the city’s rivers for water transport and amenity, and how this is being progressed?”
My question for the Local Area Committee will be:
“To ask the Chief Executive for the expected date of opening of the newly constructed steps to the North Docks from the Lower Glanmire Road?”
Motions
“That Cork City Council will report on its policy for increasing access for pedal cycles to enter contra-flow on one-way streets for motor traffic.”
“That Cork City Council will report on ways to enhance the visual appearance of the wall on Horgan’s Quay through artwork representing the city’s maritime and railway history.”
“That Cork City Council will write to ESB Networks requesting that they refrain from performing tree maintenance as part of regular works during nesting season; and that they will schedule works that may interfere with nature in this way outside of nesting season.”
“That Cork City Council will provide new footpath infrastructure at Knocknahorgan Road in Sallybrook.”
What’s happening?
Improvements for the Banduff Road
A public consultation opened this month on a pedestrian improvement scheme for the Banduff Road between Mayfield and Ballyvolane. The details of the proposal are available on the Cork City Council consultation portal and the consultation is open until Monday, 3 July. The proposals can also be seen in person at Mayfield Library.
The scheme is good news for residents along the Banduff Road from two perspectives. The immediate improvement to walking and crossing the road is something residents have been looking for, but the inclusion of indicative spaces for bus stops is an additional plus. That new service is expected to be rolled out with the new city bus network from 2024.
This scheme will be in addition to a new pedestrian crossing of the Old Youghal Road to Cara Junior School. That’s being funded from the ward budget agreed by all councillors in the North East ward. At the other end of the road, it will tie in to improvements planned around the Fox and Hounds as well.
After the public consultation, the scheme will be voted on by Cork City Council.
Unfortunately, there are bottlenecks in delivering these schemes because of delays in An Bord Pleanála. Nearly 100 new staff members have been hired this year to clear that backlog. My hope is that this will free up the issue and enable all of these works to get underway without delay.
Oral hearing into commuter rail upgrades
An oral hearing has been scheduled for 26–28 June into the planned upgrade of the Cork commuter rail network.
The proposals are to upgrade the track between Glounthaune and Midleton, which — as part of wider works — will allow 10-minute frequency commuter rail between Mallow–Cork–Cobh/Midleton.
A decision was due before Wednesday, 17 May. However, I received notice last month that this would be delayed and then that there would be an oral hearing.
There is a sticky issue to do with access for residents on the Lower Glanmire Road, who currently use a level crossing to access their homes. The frequency of service is proposed to increase to every five minutes along that section, and these works will enable that.
However, if that was the case then the barrier at that level crossing would in effect constantly be down for those residents.
That issue will be the primary one I’ll present on but I’ll also emphasise that the decision on the railway order must be made without delay. Otherwise, it risks not meeting deadlines for European funding.
Progress on climate action
Last month, the Environmental Protection Agency published a report on its projections for Ireland’s greenhouse gas emissions between 2022 and 2040.
What it shows is the scale of change that needs to happen. If we continue as we are now, agriculture and transport are the most obvious non-movers. Agriculture emissions will go down only 4% and transport only 1%, when the obligations on those sectors is 25% and 50% between now and 2030.
But, if we take additional measures now, these can increase to 20% and 35%.
It’s no co-incidence then that two of the most live topics today are the Nature Restoration Law in rural areas and BusConnects in the city.
We need to join the dots between increased risks like flooding in our cities and fodder crises for farmers, and the climate effects of dragging our heels or putting up blockers to measures like better public transport and carbon sequestration.
No-one’s underestimating the challenge involved but business-as-usual isn’t an option. On BusConnects, I think communities across the city recognise that. Residents I speak to are willing to engage and find pathways forward that meet the objectives and work for everyone.
We all want to share the benefits that can come from that. Quicker, cheaper and more reliable public transport is a vision everyone wants, and without it we’re only adding more carbon to fuel extreme weather events.
On the Nature Restoration Law, I know my colleague, Grace O’Sullivan, and all in the European Green Party, are working hard to get it over the line. After a disappointing start, there are signs that MEPs from other parties may be beginning to recognise how essential (and unavoidable) it is.
This month, I travelled to Biarritz in France to meet with other councillors and officials from the Atlantic Cities network. We aren’t alone in the challenges we face and the difficulties in making change. The same problems we have — in flooding, in heatwaves, in making space for public transport and active travel, and in restoring nature — are shared by other cities too across Europe.
In the news…
Cork’s ‘mystery’ steps on Horgan’s Quay have been closed for more than a year. Why?
“It’s been like this for over a year now, with no indication being given to Cork City Council either when asked about it,” Cllr Oliver Moran said.
Tripe + Drisheen, Thursday, 8 June
Important that road space is used for efficient transport in rapidly growing Cork city
“Since the last round of consultation there are new proposals for a quietway on Middle Glanmire Road, and other issues have come to the fore,” Cllr Moran said in a statement.
Echo, Saturday, 27 May
Progress being made on potential use of LÉ Eithne as Maritime Museum in Cork
Green Party City Councillor Oliver Moran says it would be a highly significant development in Cork.
96fm News, Monday, 8 May
Keep in touch
Thanks for reading! Please feel welcome to share this newsletter and invite other people you know to subscribe.
You can also keep up to date with my activities on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Mastodon and TikTok. And don’t forget, you can email me any time at oliver.moran@greenparty.ie.
Have a great month!
