Railway underpass linked to Paul Hyde's ABP inquiry to be used for Carrigtwohill cycleway
Solicitors representing Hyde family members made a submission to the Cork County Development Plan asking that use of the underpass not be reserved for cyclists and walkers.
An unused railway underpass in Carrigtwohill linked to an inquiry into recently resigned An Bórd Pleanála Deputy Chair Paul Hyde is set to become part of the Carrigtwohill to Midleton cycleway.
A plan to use one of two underpasses linking land owned by Mr Hyde’s family to a site at the centre of the inquiry that has rocked An Bórd Pleanála as cycling infrastructure was included in the new Cork County Development Plan this year.
However, solicitors representing Mr Hyde’s father and brother made a submission to the Cork County Development Plan objecting to the underpass becoming cycling-only infrastructure, Tripe + Drisheen can reveal.
Fears that development could be inhibited
Donegan’s solicitors, representing Stephen and Stefan Hyde and their business associates, made a submission to the draft County Development Plan last year saying that restricting the use of the underpass to cycling and walking infrastructure “may inhibit any future development of land to the north and inhibit any proposed use of the underpass.”
The letter urged the Chief Executive to adopt an “all-encompassing vision for this underpass and future development of the adjoining land” that could include use by “public service vehicles, police vehicles, emergency vehicles and perhaps smart vehicles in the future.”
Land to the north of the railway underpass is now owned by Stefan Hyde, Paul Hyde’s brother. Plans to develop an extensive new area of housing to the north of the railway line, called “Carrigtwohill North,” are included in the Cork County Development Plan 2022-2028.
Land to the south of the underpass at Terrysland is now owned by BAM construction subsidiary Lyndubh Developments.
Probe now referred to Gardaí
In 2018, Paul Hyde voted against BAM’s planning application for 227 housing units on this site, even though the adjoining site to the north, served by the underpass, was owned by his father, Stephen Hyde, and a business partner. It later emerged that Paul Hyde himself had previously been granted planning permission for 771 housing units on the same nine acre site when he owned a company called Blandcrest Ltd.
This is one of three decisions that were subject to a probe into Mr Hyde’s activities with An Bórd Pleanála.
The Minister for Housing has now referred the matter to An Garda Síochána and the Director of Public Prosecutions, it was reported yesterday.
While Blandcrest Ltd owned the land, two railway underpasses were constructed on the same land.
A second railway underpass, built by Cork County Council at a cost of €1.5 million, just 200 metres away from the Iarnród Éireann underpass and connecting the same land parcels, was discovered unused and filled with earth by Irish Examiner journalist Conor Ryan in 2014.
Proper procurement procedures had not been followed in the construction of the council-funded underpass and the council refused to release FOI records on the project to the journalist and appeared confused as to the location of both structures.
Cycleway to go ahead
The Hydes’ submission to prevent the Iarnród Éireann underpass from becoming cycling specific infrastructure was rejected by the Cork County Council Chief Executive and the structure will be used to link the Northern Spine Link Road to the Western Spine Link Road as part of the Carrigtwohill to Midleton cycleway.
“To facilitate sustainable travel it is important to maximise connectivity and permeability in Carrigtwohill, in particular connectivity to public transport. It is appropriate that the CT-U-07 be for pedestrian and cycle use only,” the Chief Executive’s Report stated.
Local Carrigtwohill Green Party Councillor Alan O’Connor welcomed the use of the pre-existing structure as part of new cycling infrastructure for the area.
“I hadn’t been aware of the history of that underpass: I can only presume it’s part of the plan to develop Carrigtwohill North,” Cllr O’Connor told Tripe + Drisheen. “It was originally in the Development Plan as a cattle underpass, but that was changed.”
He said the increased connectivity would bring benefits to the whole community and reduce car dependency, which is very high in Carrigtwohill at present.
“The whole plan connecting Carrigtwohill to Midleton is part of a larger plan that goes all the way from Cork City to Youghal,” he said. “That’s going to be wonderful for the area and I can’t wait to use it.”
“Infrastructure like this is the only way to change car dependency. We can’t continue the way we have been going, building roads and assuming that nothing is going to change and that that’s a common sense approach. Actually, things have to change so bringing in this infrastructure had great foresight. People aren’t going to be able to get out of their cars if the alternatives aren’t there.”
Cork County Council’s press office responded to Tripe + Drisheen’s requests for clarification about which underpass would be used as cycling infrastructure with a month-long delay followed by a statement that they could not confirm which structure formed part of the cycle route plans.
“Cork County Council has made numerous efforts to identify the underpass referenced by the Irish Examiner,” a press officer told Tripe + Drisheen in an email. “As the reference predates the Council’s online systems, we are not in a position to provide a yes or no response.”
The fate of the €1.5 million publicly funded underpass remains unclear.