Submission from the Office of the Planning Regulator (Submission No 426)
Issues / Recommendations / Observations
Chief Executive’s Resp onse & Recommendation
Rail Transit (LRT) route, which is included in the National Development Plan, and is satisfied that the overall balance is reasonable for the plan period. Concerns are expressed in relation to the growth allocations for Blarney / Stoneview – in light of the current uncertainty in the timeframe for delivery of key enabling infrastructure including addressing strategic water services infrastructure constraints over the plan period – and Tower – in view of it being a less accessible location by sustainable modes. Recommendation 2 – Distribution of Growth Having regard to the NPO3b and NSO 3, the planning authority is required to review the proposed distribution of population and housing allocation in its Core Strategy to: (i) ensure that the level of growth proposed for Blarney/Stoneview is aligned to with the level of services, including water services infrastructure and public transport services upgrades, anticipated to become available over the Plan period or within a reasonable period thereafter. (ii) Where there is uncertainty on infrastructure delivery timelines, phasing should be provided for growth in tandem with the delivery of key enabling services and infrastructure. (iii) Review the level of growth for Tower to reflect its less accessible location and redistribute the growth to locations that are consistent with compact growth and sustainable mobility.
permissions and the actual delivery of residential units in Cork City remains fundamentally dependent on the market. This low delivery of granted planning permissions is not singular to Cork City Council, reflecting a national trend. The timely delivery of key national, regional and local infrastructure will be the key determinant to ensure the housing market in Cork City can deliver the required housing stock to meet ambitious NPF population growth targets. In this regard, attention is also drawn to the following objectives set out in Chapter 2 (Core Strategy) of the Draft Plan. These objectives will require substantial support from a range of key external stakeholders at national, regional and local levels. Cork City Council also welcomes the OPR’s recognition that sufficient population growth is required in Ballincollig to justify the proposed Light Rail Transit (LRT) route. In relation to (i), as outlined in the Draft Plan, Stoneview which is situated 1.9 km northwest of Blarney town centre, has been identified in successive plans as a major residential expansion for the town. It occupies a strategic position on the Cork suburban railway line and the development of a large site in close proximity to the suburban rail network offers a major opportunity to achieve high modal shift by providing new homes at a location where residents can gain easy access to high quality rail. However, there are a number of infrastructural constraints which will prohibit development of this site in the short term, primarily water services and the need for major local road upgrades, the identification of the location of a railway station and the route of the N/M20. During the lifetime of this Development Plan, Cork City Council will collaborate with key stakeholders including Irish Water, NTA, Irish Rail and TII to develop solutions to these constraints and provide a Framework Masterplan for the coordinated development of this site which is considered paramount in delivering on the ambitions for both Blarney and Cork City in the National Planning Framework.
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