Retail & Commercial 10.11 The City Centre functions as a vibrant employment and commercial centre, being the most important retail destination in the region and the key employment centre in the Cork Metropolitan Area, with c. 20,000 people working in the City Centre Area in 2016. There is currently an attractive mix of retail uses in Cork City Centre. However, with the future of the retail market being somewhat uncertain, it will be important to diversify the range of uses in the City Centre. Leisure activities and hospitality uses, for example, are playing an increasing role in attracting people to urban centres. In order to recognise the importance of the City Centre as a retail destination a Core Retail Area has been designated to support its function as a destination for comparison shopping. While ground floor uses will continue to be restricted to mainly comparison shopping on Primary Retail Frontages such as St. Patrick’s Street in order to protect its retail function, some complimentary uses will also be permitted in exceptional circumstances, where it can be demonstrated that these uses will enhance the main retail function of these streets. It is important to continue to support a comparison goods function which is under-provided for in the City Centre. It is also intended to restrict residential uses, retail offices, general offices, hot food takeaways and bookmakers, betting shops at ground floor level on Secondary Retail Frontages. Residential and other uses will be encouraged on upper floors to improve footfall and activity in the evening time.
10.9 One the major assets of the City Centre is its vibrant mix of uses and it is also an objective to enhance its role as an employment, cultural, learning and entertainment destination along with its residential function. It is currently not meeting its full potential as a place to live, work and spend time but there are opportunities to redress this balance. One of the main ways of achieving this will be through the sustainable reuse of existing sites and buildings. Cork City Council will use its powers through active land management initiatives to address vacancy, dereliction, and underutilisation of property in the City Centre. Incentives such as the Living City Initiative, the Repair and Lease Scheme and built heritage grants will be promoted and augmented to ensure older and historic buildings are brought back into use. New homes should also cater for a wide range of age groups and be socially inclusive. More homes in mixed use areas will be encouraged by increasing residential uses on upper floors, which are often lying vacant at present. Considering the significance of much of the City Centre’s built fabric, the development of new or infill sites must respect its architectural and historical character, be of a complementary scale and grain to adjacent buildings and appropriate to its context. In order to welcome more families to live in the City Centre, it is crucial that it is promoted as a child-friendly place with improved and additional parks and playgrounds catering for their needs. 10.10 The safety and security of residents and visitors is also a key consideration by encouraging safe streets and an attractive public realm with active frontages providing surveillance and overlooking. The importance of Cork’s maritime heritage and enhancement of the waterfront will also be a key objective in increasing its attractiveness as a place to meet and spend time. The range of community and social services available in the City Centre will also need to be enhanced to cater for its increased residential population.
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Cork City Draft Development Plan 2022-2028
Volume 1 I Chapter 10
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