Council watch: Going Dutch and an Event Centre update-ish

Six Cork City Councillors, two on the verge of retiring, are bound for the Netherlands on a cycle study trip; the City Council anticipates construction on the Event Centre to start in early 2024.

All smiles. Then Taoiseach Enda Kenny TD and Simon Coveney TD at the sod turning for the Event Centre in 2016. Via Bam

The Event Centre hasn’t gone away, but neither has it gone anywhere. However, 2024 could see construction on the site on South Main Street in the former Beamish & Crawford brewery according to Cork City Council, eight years after the first (and last) sod was turned.

The 6,000 capacity Event Centre, which Chief Executive Ann Doherty told the Echo earlier this year she expects it to be completed by 2026, was high on the list of questions at Cork City Council’s final monthly meeting of 2023. Both Cllrs Mick Finn (Independent) and Joe Kavanagh had questions for the CE, seeking updates.

In her answer, Ms Doherty said, ”Verification of the detailed design cost of the Events Centre has now been completed. Cork City Council is currently engaging with the consortium on the outcome of this verification  process and will in due course be making a recommendation to the department as to the  amount of the public contribution required. It is anticipated that construction will commence in Q1 2024.”

Asked for more details about the timeline, Ms Doherty stuck to the script, telling the meeting developments would be coming “in the New Year”, adding “we’ll do something in January.”

A city holds its breath.

Going Dutch

Critical mass. Cyclists in the Dutch city of Utretcht soon to be joined by a cohort of Cork City councillors. Via Getty.

As we reported last week on T+D, no Cork city or county councillors had availed of the NTA-funded cycle study trips in 2023. However, at Monday night’s meeting it was announced that six councillors are bound for Utrecht in the Netherlands at the end of January on a three-day trip to learn how the Dutch have built a city that cycles.

The six councillors are: Terry Shannon (FF), Mick Finn (Ind), Thomas Maloney (Ind), Paudie Dineen (Ind), Derry Canty (FG), Kenneth O'Flynn (Ind). As T+D understands it, both Cllrs Canty and Finn are not running in the next local elections which will take place in June, 2024.

Kevin Long, vice chair of Cork Cycling Camaign, said the cycle advocacy group welcomes the news of the study trips.

“It is a goal of the Cork’s Climate Action plan and City Development Plan to deliver world-class active travel infrastructure. The main barriers to greater uptake in cycling in Cork at the moment are overall safety, fear of cycling in traffic, and a lack of segregated cycle lanes throughout the city,” Long said, adding that the cycle network in the city is still a patchwork in places.

“The councillors will experience for themselves best practice designs in operation on a world class network of high-quality cycle lanes, quiet street treatments, and filtered permeability, that is designed for people of all ages and abilities. Hopefully the study trip leads to greater appreciation of good quality cycle design amongst our elected representatives, and best practice infrastructure being implemented here in the near future.

However, what's less clear is how much influence the councillors will have on policy, especially considering that at least two councillors are set to retire in the months following the cycle study trip. Additionally, it is uncertain what mechanisms are in place at the policy level for them to contribute their insights gained during the three-day trip.

Dog pilot park

One of the first long reads T+D published shortly after we started publishing was about possibility of a dog park in Cork city. Nearly three years on, there is still talk of a dog park, but no dog park.

Cue, Cllr Mick Finn’s motion that a cordoned-off area in the Lee Fields, currently used by dog walkers while waterworks are ongoing, is considered for a pilot 'dog park'. Minor upgrades to the current set up may well satiate the need for such a park where dogs can be let off-lead.

Glasheen flooding

Riverview Estate in Glasheen underwater on October 18 as the Glasheen River spilled its banks. Credit: JJ O’Donoghue

At the heigh of Storm Babet earlier this year, T+D paid a visit to Riverview Estate and Glendale in Glasheen both of which had suffered serious flooding. According to a report from Cork City Council in response to a question from Cllr. Garret Kelleher, the trash screen and culvert on the Glasheen River were free and clear of blockages during the storm. 

So why did water make its way in the driveways and up to doorways in both estates? According to David Joyce, Director of Services, Roads & Environment Operations Directorate the City Council, “Storm Babet was different to the earlier two flooding events in that it was an orange rain warning and resulted in significantly more rainfall in this area than either of the  two previous events. The size and scale of the Babet Storm event cannot be underestimated. 

Mr Joyce continued: “Cork City Council is reviewing what future interventions could be deployed along the Glasheen  River to reduce the occurrence of flooding events during extreme rainfall occurrences. When suitable interventions are identified funding will be sought to implement same.”

MacCurtain Street parking violations

In response to a question by Cllr Oliver Moran about the hot-button issue of the parking free-for-all on MacCurtain Street, the Council now has the power to issue tickets throughout the newly upgraded street.

For the period from November 25 through to December 10, 99 tickets were issued for parking violations on MacCurtain Street, Coburg Street, Pine Street, Devonshire Street, St  Patricks Quay and Leitrim Street: 37 fines were issued for parking on footpaths and 21 were issued for parking in a load bay. Only one ticket was issued for parking on a double yellow line while three tickets were issued for parking in a bus stop.

Not rising

At the start of Monday night’s meeting Cllr Oliver Moran had promised he would not rise for the opening prayer. He didn’t and was joined by five other councillors as far as T+D could tell. Expect to see more seated protest in 2024 as Cork City Council reviews its Standing Orders which dictate the proceedings of meetings.

And finally, 30. At least. That’s the number of times the Lord Mayor told Cllr Lorna Bogue to “please sit down” in one exchange between Cllr Kieran McCarthy and Cllr Bogue when she challenged him on how he was chairing the meeting.

Correction: an earlier version of this article stated that Cllr Paudie Dinneen was not running in the June 2024 local elections. It should have been Cllr Mick Finn. Thanks to a T+D reader for pointing that out.

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