Sweeping residential zoning changes in Cork city
Contentious rezoning includes an area of the Glen River Valley flood plain, two sites crucial for a Northwest Regional Park for Knocknaheeny, several parcels of land in Glanmire and Douglas GAA.
Fears for future plans for a Northwest Regional Park in Knocknaheeny, concerns about land speculation and heated conversations about the loss of city green space dominated a special council meeting in which votes were held on rezoning 468 parcels of land in Cork city on Monday evening.
Councillors directly debated and voted on 21 material amendments to the draft Cork City Development Plan 2022-2028 at a four-hour special council meeting with occasional heated moments.
A vote to rezone Douglas GAA sports facilities for new residential developments was “bad planning” given the “daily gridlock” already experienced in Douglas, Green Party Cllr Dan Boyle told the meeting.
“This is zoning with a condition of a cash transaction occurring,” he said. “There should be another means by which that land is rezoned. It opens the door to sweetheart deals, the type of decision-making that brought great disservice to communities in the past.”
The council planning executive had recommended against rezoning in all of the cases voted on, often because the lands had failed environmental assessments.
A majority of just one vote was needed to carry each amendment.
Northwest Regional Park now in doubt
The future of plans for a regional park for the Northside were called into question by two rezoning votes in Hollyhill, objecting councillors said.
“This means the end of plans for a Northwest Regional Park, if this is carried,” Cllr Lorna Bogue said in her comments against the two changes.
A two hectare parcel of land on Nash’s Boreen was rezoned from City Hinterland to Sustainable Residential Neighbourhoods.
A neighbouring site was rezoned from City Hinterland to Institutions and Community, which would allow for hospitals, schools or nursing care. The vote was carried 15-14, but Cork City Executive advised against the change on the basis that the lands “form a significant part of the Northwest Regional Park” and also on the basis that the lands were held by three landowners, one of whom did not agree with the amendment.
The bulk of individual amendments voted on were for land North of the Lee: there were 14 individual votes on land in the North East electoral area, five in the North West and two in the South East electoral area.
Glen River Valley
In another decision with an impact on Northside green space, a parcel of land adjacent to the Glen River Park at Ballyvolane was rezoned from Public Open Space to District Centre.
This was despite the land, which is a flood plain, failing an environmental assessment “due to flood risk,” according to Fearghal Reidy of the council’s planning directorate.
Cllr John Maher slammed the proposal, saying the Northside was being deprived of more green space. He said the land was “the one option we have in the North East in to create connectivity between Glanmire and The Glen. But we need our fair share of infrastructure and we need our open green area, our version of Ballincollig Regional park or Marina park.”
The vote was finally carried, with 16 councillors voting for the change in zoning.
Glanmire
In Sallybrook, Glanmire, one site was changed from Landscape Preservation Zones to New Residential Neighbourhood, despite the Office of the Planning Regulator recommending against it on the basis of water concerns and despite the land having failed to meet an environmental assessment.
Other land in Glanmire, in Knocknahorgan and Upper Glanmire, was also rezoned residential.
Landscape Preservation Zones in Montenotte
Two proposed changes in Montenotte were to remove Landscape Preservation Zones and replace them with residential zoning; the first was carried, despite several councillors expressing misgivings about the potential loss of trees and green space north of the river.
Labour Cllr John Maher said the rezoning was “creating future problems for ourselves” in an area already short of green space while Worker’s Party Cllr Ted Tynan called into question the “gentrification” of the area and the €720,000 price tag on the recently completed Arbutus Townhouses in the same area.
Councillors voted 15-15 on the change with the deciding vote in favour of changing the zoning coming from incumbent Lord Mayor Cllr Deirdre Forde.
The second change in Montenotte, on the grounds of Clifton convalescent home, which already has planning permission for nine homes, was voted down.
Heated debate
Debate became heated at times, with a distinct ideological line being drawn; Green Party councillors voted with the council executive’s recommendations, based on environmental assessments, while others prioritised the provision of land for new houses.
“Our job here is to provide houses where we can,” Fine Gael Cllr Des Cahill said. However, Cllr Colette Finn said she wanted to “call out” the idea that the rezoning was necessary for housing provision and that infill developments and increasing the density of the city were the direction indicated by the city development plan.
“We have record levels of dereliction and vacancy and we have no shortage of zoned land to build on,” she said.
Independent Cllr Kenneth Flynn said it was hypocritical of some councillors to protest about homelessness and the cost of housing in the city but to “continuously vote against strategies that would increase the supply of housing in the city,” and that the answer to housing provision couldn’t be found in derelict and vacant property.
Thanks so much for reporting on this - I really appreciate media coverage of what goes on in city council - keep up the good work <3