Mayor of the County of Cork Cllr. John Paul O’ Shea with the Chief Executive of Cork County Council Mr. Tim Lucey and Senior Planner Ms. Patricia Griffin at the launch of the public consultation phase on the new Local Area Plans for each of the eight municipal districts.
Both Mr. Lucey & Mayor O’ Shea called on communities to get involved now, at the start of the plan making process, to help shape the future development of their area. “The Local Areas Plans set out the blueprint for how the towns and villages of the County will develop over the coming years in terms where new houses / businesses / shops / schools / parks or roads etc will be provided so this is the ideal time for people to get involved and share their views about what is needed in their area.”
In order to help the public and explain some of the issues involved, the Council has prepared a Preliminary Consultation Document for each Municipal District highlighting key issues to be considered. Mayor O’ Shea said that “The Council would like to get feedback from the public on the issues raised in these documents and any other issues of interest”.
In announcing the preparation of these Plans Mr Lucey indicated that “Cork County is divided into eight Municipal Districts and a new Local Area Plan will be prepared for each District, giving eight plans in total. The Municipal Districts are Ballincollig-Carrigaline, Bandon-Kinsale, Blarney-Macroom, Cobh, East Cork, Fermoy, Kanturk-Mallow and West Cork. Subject to enabling legislation, it is also the Council’s intention that the new Local Area Plans will replace the current Town Development Plans adopted by the former Town Councils of Cobh, Clonakilty, Fermoy, Kinsale, Macroom, Mallow, Midleton, Skibbereen and Youghal’.
Further information on the preparation of the new Local Area Plans is available atwww.corkcoco.ie. The Preliminary Consultation Documents are available to view on the Council website or may be inspected (between 9.30 a.m. and 4.00p.m) at the Council Offices, Floor 1, County Hall, Cork and at Council Offices at Norton House, Skibbereen and at Annabella, in Mallow. Documents are also available at Public Libraries. CD copies of the documents may be requested by phone (Tel: 021-4285900) or collected from the Planning Department, Floor 1, County Hall.
Submissions can be made on-line via www.corkcoco.ie following the instructions provided or in written format to the Senior Planner, Planning Policy Unit, Cork County Council, Floor 13, County Hall, Cork, T12R2NC. The deadline for submissions is 4pm on 25 January, 2016.
Draft Local Area Plans are expected to be published in November 2016, at which point people will have a further opportunity to comment and make submissions on the specific proposals contained in the Draft Plan. It is intended that the plans will be completed in July 2017.
Further information available from Planning Policy Unit, Cork County Council – 021 4285900.
