Planning for Corkonians

cork | environment | news report Monday February 12, 2007 18:09 by DeBanksWatch - DBW

or how a publicly owned landbank becomes a very exclusive apartment complex

While Santa's elves were getting ready for Christmas, the nice men in Manor Park Homes were preparing a special treat for the people of Cork. But now the ungrateful Cork lot say 'Bad Santa'.

Interesting news of the latest speculative development move affecting a publicly owned landbank in Cork. Manor Park Homebuilders (MPH) application at Horgans Quay would cram 276 apartments into an area the size of an old fashioned phone box. The site is a slice of the 17 acres the public own at Kent Station Cork.

The people of Ireland own the land through the good offices of CIE and its lord and master Minister for Transport M Cullen. Prime development land whose likes will not be seen in the southern capital again. The mainstream media who usually faint with enthusiasm at the hint of a JCB on de banks are keeping very quiet. The locals spotted the ad in de paper in Christmas week and lobbed in close on 30 objections. Owners CIE are keeping out of the fray, letting MPH make the running.

What have the locals got to complain about? Well only the fact that the application runs a horse and cart through the the North Docks Local Area Plan. That was adopted after a public consultation process just over 12 months ago and it set out a blueprint for how the total CIE site should be developed so that the benefits would be shared with the community and the city generally.

Oh and that it would flatten old architect Benson's limestone 19th century Goods Depot, which is humorously designated in the City Plan as a 'protected structure'. OK there's also the 24 and 20 floor Tower blocks looming over the riverbank. And the permanent privatisation of land that was intended for the relief route that was supposed to ease traffic congestion on Lr Glanmire Rd. And one or two other technicalities. Like the bats and the rare plants that will just have to go somewhere else. And the complete absence of any bit of a sop to the existing community. Like anything green. Or a playground even. OK so the neighbours will lose a bit of light. And maybe they will have to walk a bit more if they want to see the river again. And the nights will never be quite the same. But apart from that sure its not too bad. If you don't have to live next to it.