PLANNERS IN Cork have secured a Government designation to develop a new town on the outskirts of Cork city.
The town has a predicted population of 13,000, placing it on a par with Cobh, Carrigaline and Mallow.
The designation of land flanking the rail line between Cork and Mallow as a Strategic Development Zone (SDZ) will pave the way for Cork County Council to develop a commuter town 5km north of Cork city.
The SDZ designation would allow the council to bypass the standard planning process, implementing a masterplan in its place.
Any development within the scheme will be “plan-led” as a result, giving planners a clean slate from which to draw up proposals for the new commuter hub.
The council sought SDZ planning for the 1,000 acre zone, in accordance with the Cork Area Strategic Plan (CASP), according to the county manager, Martin Riordan. “It reflects the long-term strategic aims of CASP which saw population and employment growth focused on locations served by public transport.
“This will make the greater Cork area more attractive for foreign direct and indigenous investment, which is always encouraged by the availability of public transport and easy access to employment,” he said.
The proposed site to house the new town is located at Monard, covering some 966 acres northwest of the village of Rathpeacon, midway between Cork and Blarney on the Mallow rail line.
Some 5,000 dwellings are proposed as part of the scheme, though the council claims to be realistic about the future of the housing market.
All proposals will be drawn up by in-house planners and no investment in infrastructure will take place before a clear indication of recovery, according to Cork County Council’s senior planner, Dr Nicholas Mansergh.
“We are aware that the market is dead flat but not much can happen with the site in the next four years. We intend to be ready when the time comes,” he said.
More detailed design of the new town and associated infrastructure will be carried out over the next 18 months, and it is intended that the Draft SDZ Planning Scheme will be formally submitted to the elected members of Cork County Council in the second half of 2011. Members of the public will have the right to make submissions for consideration by the elected members.