Local Economic and Community Plan 2016-2021 - Pure Cork

Cork City Local Economic and Community Plan (LECP) 2016 – 2021

Pure Cork An Action Plan For The City

Pure Cork - An Action Plan For The City

Contents

Foreword�� 8 Acknowledgements�� 9 Cork – What Makes the City?��10 Executive Summary��12 A Local Economic and Community Plan (LECP) for Cork City �� 17 Context ��18 What is an LECP?��19 The Plan Making Process��20 Guiding Principles��21 Strategies for the City��21 Public Consultation��23 Strategic Environmental Assessment and Appropriate Assessment��25 A Vision for Cork City ��27 Vision Statement��28 SCOT Analysis��28 High Level Goals for Cork City��30 United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development��33 A Profile of the City ��37 Overview�� 38 Analysing the City��38 An Action Plan for Cork City �� 69 Overview�� 70 What Type of Actions are Implementable?��70 Goals, Objectives and Actions��71

Implementation and Monitoring �� 101 Overview��102 Timeframe & Review��102 Implementation��102 Implementation Plan��102 Monitoring��103 Key Tasks for the Steering Group��103 Appendices �� 104 Appendix I: LCDC Membership��104 Appendix II: SPEDE SPC Membership��105 Appendix III: Consistency Statement with Cork City Development Plan (2015-2021) & SW Regional Planning Guidelines (2010 – 2022)��106 Appendix IV: Appropriate Assessment Screening Determination��107 Appendix V: Determination for Screening out requirement to undertake a SEA��108

Glossary�� 109

This LECP is accompanied by, and should be read in conjunction with, the following documents:

• Cork City LECP Socio-Economic Statement (August 2015) • Cork City LECP Baseline Report (March 2016) • SEA and AA Screening Reports

These documents are available at: http://www.corkcity.ie/localeconomicandcommunityplan/

Cork City LECP 2016 - 2021 ROAD MAP

Introduction

Foreword

Acknowledgements

The Local Government Reform Act of 2014 bestowed responsibility on local government to provide strategic leadership and direction in the area of local economic and community development. Responding to this, PURE CORK - An Action Plan for the City 2016-2021 is a unified local economic and community plan that seeks to embrace the objectives and work of local business, community and public service providers in the city. Consultation and preparation for this plan began in early 2015 and involved intense engagement with a wide range of business, community and voluntary organisations, public agencies, social partners and other key stakeholders in Cork city. The result is an ambitious but focused six year plan based on fifteen High Level Goals, driven by Strategic Objectives that will be delivered through a series of Local Actions – all of which are set out in this plan. The plan’s actions will be the focus of the work for the Local Community Development Committee (LCDC) and the Strategic Planning, Economic Development and Enterprise Strategic Policy Committee (SPEDE SPC) in the coming years. To assist this work, two year implementation plans will be prepared with continuing engagement and collaboration with the relevant stakeholders in the city. This plan should act as a key reference document for all publically funded-bodies and other agencies operating in the city. As such, it will help co-ordinate the activities of all stakeholders, thus ensuring better results for those living, working, and investing in the city. As a multi-agency plan, resources will be required to deliver the actions through multi-agency cooperation. We would like to acknowledge the work of the LCDC, the SPEDE SPC and all of the local develop- ment bodies, community and voluntary organisations, business groups and representatives, members of the public and other stakeholders who have given their time and contributed to the preparation of this plan. Cork City Council in partnership with all stakeholders will seek to drive this plan’s actions forward.

The Cork City Local Community Development Committee and the Strategic Planning Economic Development and Enterprise Strategic Policy Committee would like to thank the following people in the production of the LECP “Pure Cork” plan:

• Pat Ledwidge, Director of Strategic Planning and Economic Development, Cork City Council.

• Paul Moynihan, Director of Corporate and External Affairs, Cork City Council.

• The LECP Team: Elmarie Mc McCarthy and Lorcan Griffin (Strategic Planning and Economic Development Directorate, Cork City Council), Tony Power and Maria Minguella (Social Inclusion Unit, Corporate and External Affairs Directorate, Cork City Council). • We would particularly like to thank Thomas McCarthy for setting the scene for the LECP with his beautifully written introduction – “Cork, What Makes the City”.

• AIRO, for the development of the baseline report.

• Finally, we would like to extend our gratitude to the individuals, community organisations, public agencies, organisations and departments and business representatives who took the time to lend their expertise and experiences to this Plan through attendance at workshops and through consultations and written submissions.

Cllr Chris O’Leary Chair, Cork City Strategic Planning, Economic Development and Enterprise Strategic Policy Committee

Michael Finn Assistant Commissioner Chair, Cork City Local Community Development Committee

Introduction

Cork - What Makes the City?

creative city the Council, again, supports the internationally acclaimed Lifelong Learning Festival, the hugely popular Marathon, The Ceili Mor, and many other mass participation events where the city as a humane, living landscape comes forward to reveal its great bold strength. A city, yes, is its buildings and physical infrastructure, but it is also that vital historical, living network of loyal communities working together, inspiring and enabling networks such as our Faith community and our Gay community, our Arts, Libraries and Theatre organisations. All fold together into a single prodigious affirmation of life by the Lee. I’ll always remember the day when I became conscious of this urban power of Cork. It was during the closing days of Cork’s reign as a European Capital of Culture in 2005. I was taking an official from the Ministry of Culture in Budapest on a fact-finding and historical tour of the city, something I loved to do. This highly placed official was an historian by profession and she wanted to absorb the atmosphere of an Atlantic city. She was impressed by the total package of Cork; the beautiful winter city, the energy of Patrick Street on Friday morning, the aromas of the English Market, the burning candles in St. Peter’s and Paul’s Church, the Crawford and Glucksman galleries, the Rory Gallagher memorial, the great James Barry exhibition, the young European engineers she met drinking at café tables. At such moments, on days like that, Cork city makes a deep impression upon an educated stranger. This impression is not false, it is pure gold, and it is what good planning strives for. It is

why hours and hours are spent researching, developing, resourcing, the City Council’s strategies and reports. It is why planners and ambitious local politicians try to create the most intelligent city possible, a city that shares the burden of the nation, not just a region. Cork has a great deal to offer Ireland, not just Cork; and as Cork demonstrated during its reign as European Capital of Culture or when hosting Queen Elizabeth II, the city responds to any national challenge with a generous sincerity and confidence. Cork is ready to put its shoulder to the wheel, to do the heavy lifting for Ireland as well as for itself. This is how it should be – And why a document such as this is placed before you; an arrangement of hard facts and a review of strategies. The work of Cork planning continues; it is relentless and on-going. Here is PURE CORK, then, a framework for decision making and resource allocation; and a continuing sign that the best minds are still at work among the inheritors of Healy’s and Redmond’s love of Cork. The future begins, yet again, because an ancient city steps forward to shine a brilliant, new urban future upon our settled Irish life.

n May 2nd, 1917, nearly a century ago, the Cork Improvement Bill passed

themselves? The answer is, no, they can’t . More than ever cities are subject to planning regulations as well as transport and housing limitations. The future of the world lies in its cities. A city can be choked by deliberate political acts, just as a city can spring to life after seventy years of inertia by a Bill such as the Cork Harbour Act of 1820 and the Cork Improvement Act of 1917. To watch a city rising is a beautiful thing. A city is a living organism and the purring sound of this organism as it thrives and grows is the sound of people assembling and dispersing, on buses, bicycles, trains and cars. There is a poetry in city life that’s beautiful. Writers like Frank O’ Connor or Mary Leland, or Conal Creedon and Kevin Barry, have captured the essence of Cork life in their books. They are our eternal witnesses, their works giving us glimpses of a deep urban soul. Reading them, and others, should centre our sense of recognition, as well as giving us huge hope for the human permanence and future of local urban life. And this urban life is such a critical thing, such a lived reality within the politics of our modern era. Nowadays Cork City Council has become a crucial enabler and supporter of this expanding human landscape of urban life; providing sports facilities and community playgrounds and meeting spaces. In terms of this active,

the Report Stage in the House of Commons. The Bill had been brilliantly shepherded through its Parliamentary votes by the determined Co. Cork MPs, Maurice and Tim Healy whose great fear had been the opposition of Ulster Unionist MPs who might have been worried by the setting up of the Ford Motor Works at Cork. But Tim Healy’s advocacy won the support of Captain Craig, Sharman Crawford and Bonar Law. The Ford assembly works, the beating heart of Cork’s industrial might for the next sixty years, had come into being. The approaching centenary of this Bill in 2017 should remind us of how well the interests of Cork were protected by the old and now forgotten Irish Party. The care of this second city of the State, and its interests, is one of the highest duties of Irish public life, and members of the old Irish Party were keenly aware of this. We would do well to remember them, to understand how the interests of cities need to be protected at the highest political level. Cities are massive human and economic constructs and we should plan their fate with great political care. And why should we protect the interests of our cities? Can’t cities with their population density and commercial imperatives look after

Thomas McCarthy , August 2016 . 1

1 Thomas McCarthy was born in Co. Waterford. While doing post- graduate work at UCC he won the Patrick Kavanagh Award for his first book The First Convention(1978). He went on to publish The Sorrow-Garden (1981), The Non-Aligned Storyteller (1984), Seven Winters in Paris (1989), The Lost Province (1996), Merchant Prince (2005) and The Last Geraldine Officer(2009). He has published two novels and a memoir, Gardens of Remembrance (1998). For many years he worked at Cork City Libraries, and in 1994-95 he was Humphrey Professor of English at Macalester College in Minnesota. He is a member of Aosdana and a Fellow of the RSA, London. His new collection of poems, Pandemonium, is published by Carcanet Press in November.”

Introduction

Executive Summary

Network (PPN). Actions to further develop Cork City’s commitment to lifelong Education and Learning include the expansion of the learning neighbourhoods initiative and existing learning models into other areas. While primarily driven by the objectives of Cork City Development Plan 2015-2021, delivering a high Quality of Place is further enhanced through support for more localised actions such as the Cork City Centre Action Plan (2015). Actions to ensure the delivery of a Safe and Green City include the implementation of the Joint Policing Committee Strategy (2016) and the active pursuit of Green City status by 2021. Delivering Competiveness through Strategic Governance includes supporting synergies between Cork City and other cities that strengthen collective opportunities for sustainable growth and the review and preparation of a successor to the Cork Area Strategic Plan (CASP) by 2020. Actions to drive Economic Diversity in the city include the CORE (city centre) programme to collaborate and implement local initiatives that stimulate employment and retail activity in the city centre. Cork City Local Enterprise Office (LEO) is central to delivering actions that drive Innovation and entrepreneurship. The development of Cork SMART Gateway is also delivering a series of new local smart technology initiatives within the city. The continued support of the Northside for Business initiative and active participation in the Regional Skills Forum are two of the actions to develop Skills and Human Capital in the city. Delivering improved Transportation and

• Social Economy • Skills and Human Capital • Education and Learning • Transportation and Communications • Social Inclusion and Equality • Quality of Place • Competitiveness through Strategic Governance The third section, A Profile of the City , analyses the city under each of the 15 High Level Goals. Findings from two key reports 2 provide the evidence base and a comprehensive review of current international, national and local policy provides the policy context. The combination of these findings allows for a well grounded understanding of how the city can implement the best actions, most efficiently and effectively, at local level. The Action Plan for Cork City sets out the 98 Strategic Objectives and 239 Local Actions that form the plan. These objectives and actions reflect core elements of life in Cork City, with many people from a variety of different groups and stakeholders involved in their making. The challenges of the current Housing market are reflected in the need for holistic, long term and practical local actions, such as the Residential Delivery Strategy for the city. Opportunities to build on the WHO’s designation of Cork as a Healthy City are built into local actions to improve the health and well-being of all of the city’s people and reducing health inequalities. The city’s strong history of Community Participation is enhanced through new initiatives such as the Public Participation

he Local Government Act 2001 (as amended) requires each Local Authority to prepare

Future (Cork City Council, 2001) . It also sets out the plan making process including significant consultation and inputs from a number of key groups now tasked with co-ordinating and delivering the HLG’s, Objectives and Actions. This inter-agency collaboration and synergy supports both the wide range of existing stakeholder strategies and action plans already at work in the city (refer to page 22) and new actions and initiatives required to achieve a higher quality of life within the city. A Vision for Cork City , the second section of the plan, outlines the Strengths, Challenges, Opportunities and Threats (SCOT) in planning for community and economic development in the city, as identified in the Socio-Economic Statement that initiated this plan. The 15 HLG’s are derived from the plan’s vision statement and SCOT analysis and reflect the reality of what makes for a good quality of life for Cork City and its citizens:

and implement a Local Economic and Community Plan (LECP) as a means to

advancing the overarching actions for reform set out in the Action Programme for Effective Local Government – Putting People First (2012) . Responding to this, PURE CORK - An Action Plan for the City is a unified local economic and community plan that seeks to embrace the objectives and work of local, business, community and public service providers in the city. The plan was developed over a two-year period with business, community and voluntary organisations, public agencies and social partners. The result is an ambitious but focused six year plan with 15 High Level Goals (HLG’s) driven by Strategic Objectives to be realised through a series of Local Actions. This plan has been prepared in accordance with Section 66A to 66H of the Local Government Act 2001 (as amended) , with Section 66G setting out a requirement for the City Council’s annual report to assess its implementation and any subsequent reviews. The first section, A Local Economic and Community Plan (LECP) for Cork City , details how the plan seeks to build on the structures, work and achievements of Cork 2012 – Imagine Our

• Housing • Children and Young People • Healthy City • Older People • Community Participation

• Economic Diversity • Safe and Green City • Innovation

2 The Cork City Profile (2014) and The Cork City LECP – Baseline Report (2016)

Introduction

Communication infrastructure at regional and local level includes supporting key infrastructure projects and promoting ICT opportunities such as reduced cost international data transfer. Actions to support and strengthen the local Social Economy include the delivery of a multi- stakeholder citywide strategy and investigating the expansion of local successful social economy models. Responding to the needs of Children and Young People in the city includes strength- ening the inter-agency approach of the Children and Young Person’s Services Committee (CYPSC) and promoting the further develop- ment of the JIGSAW programme in the city. The delivery of actions set out in the Cork Age Friendly City Strategy 2016 – 2020 is central to developing an integrated response to the needs of Older People living in the city. Social Inclusion and Equality actions include the promotion of inter-agency groups and the continued implementation of the RAPID programme to target the most disadvantaged communities in the city. Given the wide variety of actions within the plan, the implementation, monitoring, evaluation and review will be critical in deter- mining its success. Implementation will be tracked through a three staged approach, with objectives and actions fully reviewed every two years. Each objective and action will be reviewed to monitor progress, assess relevance and establish the need for additions and amendments. This will allow for a more realistic and flexible plan that remains current to the economic and community needs of Cork City over the next six years.

A Local Economic and Community Plan (LECP) for Cork City

Pure Cork - An Action Plan For The City

Context

In accordance with the Local Government Act 2001 (as amended) , the implementation of this LECP shall be consistent with the following:

The Cork City Local Economic and Community Plan (LECP) 2016 – 2021 is an action driven plan used to guide economic and community development in the city over the next six years. This plan seeks to build on the structures, work and achievements of Cork 2012 – Imagine Our Future (Cork City Council, 2001) and on the work of the Cork City Development Board. Imagine Our Future was central to generating the delivery of creative initiatives such as the Cork City Lifelong Learning Festival, Cork Healthy Cities, the Discovery Science Exhibition, the Inter-agency Traveller Group and inter- agency work on LGBT in the city. This LECP will drive a series of actions to progress communities and stimulate economic development at local level, within this strategic context. The plan is very much based on a multi- agency approach that will require both cross-sector input and cross sector ownership. While this plan recognises and reflects the importance of spatial development, it is not a spatial development plan. The forthcoming National Planning Framework (NPF), the Southern Regional Spatial and Economic Strategy (RSES) and the existing Cork City Development Plan 2015-2021 will provide the strategic guidance for sustainable land use planning for the city.

• The National Spatial Strategy (NSS) 2002 – 2020 , to be superseded by the forthcoming National Planning Framework (NPF) 2016-2026. • The South West Regional Planning Guidelines 2010-2022 , to be superseded by the forthcoming Southern Regional Spatial and Economic Strategy (RSES) • The Core Strategy and objectives of the Cork City Development Plan 2015-2021; • Any other City Development Plan and Local Area Plan provisions responsible for the protection and management of the environment including environmental sensitivities. All future reviews of the LECP, and the objectives and actions therein, will provide the opportunity to confirm consistency with the forthcoming National Planning Framework (NPF) and the Southern Regional Spatial and Economic Strategy (RSES). In addition, the LECP is the framework for Local Development Strategies and other plans under the auspices of the LCDC. It also serves to inform a range of statutory and collaborative integrated planning processes. Due consideration has been given to the requirements for Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) and Appropriate Assessment (AA) during the preparation of this plan and screening has been carried out for both 3 . The preparation of any lower tier plans or strategies will be subject to SEA and AA processes as appropriate, in accordance with the relevant legislation.

National Planning Framework 2016–2026

What is an LECP?

The passing into law of the Local Government Reform Act 2014 necessitated a number of changes to the administration of local government in Ireland. Among the more significant of these developments was a new statutory requirement that Local Authorities should prepare an integrated Local Economic and Community Plan (LECP), comprising specific economic and community elements, in accordance with the principle of sustainable development. These plans are to provide a service delivery planning framework over a six-year period. In order to support the implementation of the LECP, the Minister for the Environment, Community, and Local Government, issued guidelines to Local Authorities on the preparation of the plan. These guidelines set out a five stage process for developing an LECP:

Regional Spatial and Economic Strategy

City City and County Development Plans Local Ecomonic and Community Plan

Strategic Objectives

Detailed Proposals

Local Area Plans Area Based / Local Development

Figure 1: Pyramid of National, Regional and Local Plans

Source: Action Plan for Jobs 2015

3 http://www.corkcity.ie/localeconomicandcommunityplan/

A Local Economic and Community Plan (LECP) for Cork City

Pure Cork - An Action Plan For The City

Guiding Principles of the LECP

Phase 01:

Preparation and High Level Goals

Phase 02:

Public Consultation

The LECP is underpinned by the following guiding principles, identified as part of the Socio-Economic Statement that initiated the making of this plan:

Phase 03:

Development of Objectives and Actions

Phase 04:

Finalise Plan

1. Sustainability – promoting a more resource efficient, green and more inclusive society and economy 2. Maximising returns by co-operation, collaboration and avoiding duplication 3. Participative ‘ bottom-up’ approach– ensuring meaningful community participation and consultation in the planning process 4. The promotion and mainstreaming of equality 5. Harnessing existing local and community development infrastructure to make best use of resources 6. Community development principles – addressing social exclusion and providing supports for the most marginalised 7. Accessibility and ownership – written in a straight forward style

Phase 05:

Monitoring and Review

Figure 2: The five stages of making an LECP (source: DoECLG; Guidelines for LECPs, 2015)

The Plan Making Process

The plan making process required inputs from a number of key groups tasked with co-ordinating and delivering High Level Goals, Strategic Objectives and Local Actions.

The plan will seek to integrate these guiding principles by focusing on the following types of actions:

• Stakeholder Driven Actions: Actions that guide and inform the work of plans that operate at a more strategic level (national, regional, metropolitan, and gateway)

• Local Level Actions: Actions that support the implementation of existing and future stakeholder strategies influencing the development of Cork City at local level

• GAP Actions: Actions that identify inter-agency gaps in the economic and community development of the city

CORK CITY COUNCIL (RESERVED FUNCTION)

In implementing these actions, this plan will need to have due regard to the nature of the action, the partners tasked with implementing the action and their level of ability to achieve that action. In doing so, it is hoped that every effort is made to ensure this LECP is both practical and implementable.

Regional Assembly

Stakeholders and General Public

ADVISORY STEERING GROUP

ECONOMIC ELEMENT (SPC)

COMMUNITY ELEMENT (LCDC)

Strategies for the City

The Cork City LECP needs to represent a shared plan for the city, one that shapes Cork as a world- class city of creativity, investment and opportunity, a city that offers a superior quality of life. This will require commitment from all partners, making the plan a living document with ongoing reflection, review, monitoring and consultation at local level.

Figure 3: LECP Steering Groups, Stakeholders and Oversight Bodies

A Local Economic and Community Plan (LECP) for Cork City

Pure Cork - An Action Plan For The City

To achieve this, Cork City LECP aims to ensure inter-agency collaboration, connectivity and synergy between all the strategies and action plans at work in the city:

Public Consultation

Consultation processes have played a central role in the development of this LECP for the City. There has always been evidence of strong collaboration across agencies, social partners and the local development and community development sectors in Cork City. This LECP needs to represent a strengthening of these collaborations, allowing for shared ownership, policy consistency and the achievement of common goals for the good of the city. The consultation process involved in the formation of the plan, commenced early in 2015 and involved intense engagement with a wide and varied range of economic and community stakeholders at work in the City:

South West Action Plan for Jobs 2015–2017

Joint Cork City & County Housing Strategy (2009)

Cork City Walking- Strategy 2013–2018

Cork Smart Gateway Strategy

Regional Action Plan for Homeless Services 2013–2018 in South West

Joint Policing Committee Strategy 2016-2022

Metropolitan Cork Joint Retail Strategy

Economic Strand

Traveller Accommoda- tion Programme (2014–2018)

“Growing Tourism in Cork” A Collective Strategy 2015-2020

Cork City SICAP Ac- tion Plan

Cork City Centre Strategy

The economic elements of the LECP have been informed by the economic strategy in the Cork City Development Plan. Adopted in 2015 the City Development Plan was the result of an extensive consultation process. Similarly the economic elements incorporate existing strategies and plans, such as the South West Action Plan for Jobs and City Centre Strategy, which were informed by extensive consultation. In addition, workshops, stakeholder meetings and public consultation were used to generate a multi-agency input into what objectives and actions are needed to drive the economic element of this plan.

Cork Children and Young’s People Services Committee Strategy

City North West Quarter Regeneration Master Plan

Cork City Development Plan 2015–2021

Cork Healthy Cities Phase IV 2014–18 Action Plan

Cork City Council Libraries Read Learn Explore 2015–2019

Cork City Local Enterprise Plan 2016

Cork Local Drug and Alcohol Task Force Strategic Plan 2015–2017

Cork City Council Corporate Plan 2015-2019

Age Friendly City Strategy

Community Strand

Cork City Council Climate Change Strategy

Cork City Heritage Plan 2014-2018

Cork Transport Feasibility Study

Cork City Music Generation Strategy

Commencing in October 2015, the Social Inclusion Unit began the process of wider consultation to inform the delivery of this plan. Global contact was made by the Social Inclusion Unit with all agencies, voluntary groups and statutory bodies in Cork City. One-to-one stakeholder consultation took place to further develop objectives and actions with submissions invited and collated for review by both steering groups (LCDC and SPEDE SPC).

Cork City Local Economic and Com- munity Plan (LECP) 2016-2021

Cork Sports Part- nership Strategic Plan 2014–2017

Cork Area Strategic Plan 2001–2020

Cork City Art and Cultural Strategy 2011–2015

Figure 4: Honeycomb of strategies at work in Cork City

A Local Economic and Community Plan (LECP) for Cork City

Pure Cork - An Action Plan For The City

Cork City Stakeholder Engagement...A Sample of...

Both strands of this plan have been based on a bottom up approach, with a diverse range of stakeholders having a central role in the plan making process:

AGE FRIENDLY CITY – HEALTHY CITIES – UNESCO CITY OF LEARNING – COMHAIRLE NA NÓG – CORK CITY LOCAL ENTERPRISE OFFICE – CORK CHAMBER – CORK CITY CHILDCARE COMMITTEE – CORK CITY PUBLIC PARTICIPATION NETWORK – CORK EDUCATION TRAINING BOARD – HEALTH SERVICE EXECUTIVE – CORK CITY JOINT POLICING COMMITTEE – CORK CITY COUNCIL – UNIVERSITY COLLEGE CORK – CORK INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY – CORK CITY PARTNERSHIP – CORK EQUAL AND SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES ALLIANCE (CESCA) – CORK CITY COUNCIL STRATEGIC POLICY COMMITTEES – CORK CITY TRAVELLER INTERAGENCY GROUP – CORK LOCAL DRUGS TASK FORCE – TUSLA CHILD AND FAMILY AGENCY – CORK SPORTS PARTNERSHIP – NORTHSIDE FOR BUSINESS – CORK CITY LGBT INTERAGENCY GROUP – ECCOWELL – CORK FOOD POLICY COUNCIL – IDA IRELAND – SOLAS – FORÓIGE – DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL PROTECTION – CORK CITY MUSIC EDUCATION PARTNERSHIP – IBEC – CORK ENVIRONMENTAL FORUM

1. Steering Groups and Elected Representatives: An Advisory Steering Group was established consisting of members of the SPEDE (Strategic Planning, Economic Development and Enterprise) SPC and LCDC (The Local Community and Development Committee). The Advisory Steering Group met to lead and guide the initial planning process. The LCDC and the SPEDE SPC then both held a series of meetings, central to delivering this plan. Separate workshops of the LCDC, the SPEDE SPC and elected local authority representatives (19th April), delivered the drafting of this plan. A joint workshop of the SPEDE SPC and the LCDC (16th May) took place to agree on overlapping community and economic issues set out in this plan. There were two further public consultations in May and August/September 2016. 2. General Public: A total of 19 members of the public made a submission to the Socio-Economic Statement when it was put out for public consultation in August 2015. Initial findings from the recent CorkCitiEngage survey of over 3,500 people in the wider Cork region were also used to inform this plan. There were two further public consultations in May and August/September 2016. 3. Business Sector: A workshop with a cross section of employers, educational providers, business interest groups and state body representatives was held in City Hall on the 21st April 2016.

Figure 5: A sample of stakeholders engaged in the LECP consultation process.

Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) and Natura Impact Assessment (NIA)

Screening Overview for Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) Under the European Communities (Environmental Assessment of Certain Plans and Programmes) Regulations 2004 (S.I. 435 of 2004 as amended by S.I. 200 of 2011), all plans which are likely to have a significant effect on the environment must undergo screening to determine whether a SEA is required. “Screening” to determine whether a particular plan, would be likely to have significant environmental effects, and would thus warrant SEA. This Plan has been screened for SEA , which concludes that the LECP is not considered likely to have a significant impact on the environment and therefore a SEA is not required. The screening report can be downloaded from http://www. corkcity.ie/localeconomicandcommunityplan/ and will be updated as relevant throughout the implementation process. Screening Overview for Appropriate Assessment (AA) An Appropriate Assessment screening has been undertaken for this plan in accordance with the requirements of Article 6(3) of the EU Habitats Directive (directive 92/43/EEC) to determine if the LECP is likely to significantly affect Natura 2000 sites (i.e. Special Areas of Conservation (SAC) and Special Protection Areas (SPA)) within or surrounding the plan area. The conclusion of the AA screening process is that further (‘stage 2’) AA is not required. The screening report accompanies this plan and will be updated as relevant throughout the Plan-preparation process.

4. Statutory and Voluntary Sector: Focus groups and one to one interviews with senior level representatives

5. Networking Bodies and Collaborative Structures: One to one submissions with a range of networking bodies and collaborative structures across the city, representing sectors such as employers, children/young people, policing, older people, Travellers, new communities, education and LGBT.

6. Cork City Council: Ongoing liaison with senior management, and workshops with senior staff.

7. National Bodies Submissions received and one to one consultation with national representative bodies.

A Vision for Cork City

Pure Cork - An Action Plan For The City

Vision Statement

• A very strong community and voluntary sector • Excellent quality of life, with sports, cultural and recreational facilities and both the city centre and the countryside being within easy access • Significant additional entrepreneurship support available • Cork City has World Health Organisation (WHO) Healthy City Status and is pursuing WHO Age Friendly City Status. Cork also has a Food Policy Council • Strong track record of inter-agency collaboration in the City (e.g. LGBT inter-agency working group) • Several centres of medical excellence located in the city • EcCowell Cork promotes integrating strategies across economic, educational, health and environmental needs • The river and waterways are easily accessible and greatly add to the attractive lifestyle and tourism offering. Cork’s harbour is the world’s second largest natural harbour and a major natural asset

The vision for Cork City and this LECP has been adopted from the Cork City Development Plan (2015- 2021) :

“...to be a successful, sustainable regional capital and to achieve a high quality of life for its citizens and a robust local economy, by balancing the relationship between community, economic development and environmental quality. It will have a diverse innovative economy, will maintain its distinctive character and cultural heritage, will have a network of attractive neighbourhoods served by good quality transport and amenities and will be a place where people want to live, work, visit and invest in.” • That Cork will have vibrant, resilient, inclusive, sustainable communities where people have a good quality of life and access to quality public services • To ensure balanced and sustainable economic development and employment • To promote social inclusion and equality by ensuring that all residents of Cork City have equal opportunities to access, participate and engage in the social, economic and lifelong learning opportunities in the city

Challenges (reflects situation in June 2015)

• Shortage of modern, large floor plate offices to meet the needs of inward investors and large indigenous companies • Possible over dependence on Foreign Direct Investment • Continuing concentration of disadvantage in certain geographic areas and among particular communities, while recession has also impacted the wider community and led to a wider dispersal of disadvantage. • Decline in passengers and routes through Cork Airport • Population has been gradually declining since 1979, with some evidence of stabilisation between 2006 and 2011 • Reduction in funding to the community and voluntary sector in recent years • Significant lack of availability and access to quality, affordable housing in the city is a challenge including the short-term rental sector • The age dependency ratio is much higher than the national average • Risk of flooding in city centre

SCOT Analysis (June 2015)

Strengths, Challenges, Opportunities and Threats (SCOT) in planning for community and economic development in Cork City were identified as part of the Socio-Economic Statement that initiated the making of this plan:

Strengths (reflects situation in June 2015)

• Strong record in attracting and retaining Foreign Direct Investment • Strong business services networks/organisations, which actively support new business ventures and inward investing companies • The Port of Cork is an EU designated Trans European Network Core Port and a nationally designated Tier 1 port which accommodates services across all six shipping modes • International airport serving range of British and European scheduled destinations, including major business hubs of London Heathrow and Amsterdam Schipol • A reputation for excellence in undergraduate and post graduate education, training, research and development

Opportunities (reflects situation in June 2015)

• Potential for new residential and employment development though redevelopment and intensification of ‘brownfield land’ in areas such as the City Centre, Docklands, Mahon and Blackpool

A Vision for Cork City

Pure Cork - An Action Plan For The City

• Development of a number of Tier 1 broadband connections in Cork • Redevelopment of Port of Cork • New office developments in City Centre and Mahon, as well as significant retail developments planned • Key development opportunities identified at Blackpool and Tivoli • Development of new 6,000 seat events centre and implementation of the City Centre Action Plan • Leverage the existing research capabilities and overseas companies to support sustainable indigenous business growth • Development of joint Cork City and County Tourism strategy and action plan • Implementation of the Lower Lee (Cork City) Flood Relief Scheme (including Blackpool and Ballyvolane) • Digital start-up hub in Parnell Place • Triple helix – collaboration between government, business and higher education e.g. IT@Cork, Energy Cork • Potential to develop the social economy • Cork’s participation in UNESCO Global Network of Learning Cities

recognising their central role in realising many of the High level Goals 4 . Other stakeholders are making valuable contributions to the city but are at a less advanced stage in terms of strategy and operational structure. A key challenge for the success of this plan is to create the right conditions that allow these structures to function at their best and to grow and enhance the city’s local richness in a dynamic, co-ordinated and confident manner. By achieving this unified approach at local level, the ideal of “One City, Many Communities” can be realised even stronger.

Cork City LECP 2016–2021 That Cork will have vibrant, resilient, inclusive, sustainable communities where people have a good quality of life and access to quality public services. To ensure balanced and sustainable economic development and employment in the city. And to promote social inclusion and equality by ensuring that all residents of Cork City have equal opportunities to access, participate and engage in the social, economic and lifelong learning opportunities in the city.

Threats (reflects situation in June 2015)

• Development of disruptive technologies could impact on employment and attractiveness • Rising costs could reduce Cork’s competitiveness and attractiveness • Insufficient investment in key enabling infrastructure and technology • Competition from other City Regions • Lack of housing to attract workers • Dependence on small number of companies for high proportion of employment

High Level Goals - 15 Themes

THEME 1 /// Housing Clearly identify and plan responses to a range of housing issues experienced in Cork City to strengthen the economic and community development of the city.

High Level Goals (HLGs) for Cork City

This plan is structured around 15 High Level Goals (HLGs), identified during the plan’s preparation, representing a collective and holistic vision for Cork City in line with the vision statement outlined above.

THEME 2 /// Healthy City Ensure Cork is a healthy city that connects to improve the health and well-being of all its people and reduce health inequalities.

The focus of the HLGs is not on the core business of any one agency but on cross cutting areas of work, avoiding duplication and enhancing collaboration. A wide variety of citywide multi-agency structures are already in place in Cork City, with some having both their strategic vision and local action plans in operation (see figure 4 above). This LECP incorporates these strategic plans thereby

THEME 3 /// Community Participation Integrate communities and community and voluntary groups into decision making and to promote civic participation and community engagement.

4 General actions supporting the overall implementation of these strategies are included in this plan. Individual actions are not listed, please refer to the strategy in question for more detail.

A Vision for Cork City

Pure Cork - An Action Plan For The City

THEME 14 /// Quality Of Place Build on Cork’s strong place quality assets and improve the attractiveness of the city for residents and visitors

THEME 4 /// Safe and Green City Ensure Cork is a safe and green city with a secure and sustainable environment in which to live, work and play

THEME 15 /// Competitiveness Through Strategic Governance Co-operate with other stakeholders to deliver the strategic governance that ensures the Cork Gateway remains a competitive location for economic activity and also to maintain the excellent quality of life available in Cork which underpins the Gateway’s competitiveness

THEME 5 /// Social Economy Ensure the vibrant social economy sector is supported and enhanced.

THEME 6 /// Education and Learning Support the culture of learning in Cork and enhance educational levels across the city.

THEME 7 /// Social Inclusion and Equality Reduce the marginalisation of specific communities within the city, taking into account the nine grounds and socio economic status.

United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development

THEME 8 /// Children and Young People Develop integrated responses to the needs of children and young people and improve outcomes through local inter-agency working .

In September 2015, world leaders attending the United Nations Sustainable Development Summit adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. This agenda sets out 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, fight inequality and injustice and tackle climate change by 2030. Each SDG sets out goals, targets and indicators that all UN member states are expected to use to frame their agendas and political policies over the next 15 years.

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THEME 9 /// Older People Develop integrated responses to the needs of older people, promoting their inclusion and contribution in all areas of life and responding.

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THEME 10 /// Economic Diversity Support the maintenance of a diverse economic base within the city

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THEME 11 /// Innovation Support innovation in the local economy

THEME 12 /// Skills and Human Capital Develop skills within the Cork area to match the needs of existing and future businesses. Provide support services for the unemployed and help maintain and expand businesses in areas of high unemployment

THEME 13 /// Transport and Communications Support measures to improve transport and telecommunications networks into and around Cork City and region

Figure 6: UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development - 17 SDGs

A Vision for Cork City

Pure Cork - An Action Plan For The City

This LECP recognises the strategic importance of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the integrated multiagency approach required to achieve this within Cork City. Reflecting this, the 15 HLG’s that drive the objectives and actions in this plan are interconnected with the UN’s 17 SDG’s in many ways:

UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals

Relevance of Cork City’s LECP: 15 High Level Goals

Goal 13. Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts

UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals

Relevance of Cork City’s LECP: 15 High Level Goals

Goal 14. Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development

Goal 1. End poverty in all its forms everywhere

Goal 2. End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture Goal 3. Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages Goal 4. Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all Goal 5. Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls Goal 6. Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all Goal 7. Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all Goal 8. Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable

Goal 15. Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss Goal 16. Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels Goal 17. Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize Global Partnership for Sustainable Development

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Figure 7: Integrating the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals

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economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all

Goal 9. Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation Goal 10. Reduce inequality within and among countries

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Goal 11. Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable

Goal 12. Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns

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