Northside communities to meet amid opposition to Cork BusConnects plan
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The challenges around implementing the new €600m BusConnects plan for Cork have been laid bare, with communities vowing to resist attempts to take over parts of their properties for the proposed routes.
As the National Transport Authority (NTA) announced the first round of public consultations around its proposed 12 new so-called "sustainable transport corridors" (STCs) around the city's arteries as part of the BusConnects Cork project, residents in areas such as Harbour View Rd on the city's northside sounded the alarm at the possibilities of compulsory purchase orders (CPO) of parts of their properties.
Under CPOs, some statutory bodies can take land or property without the consent of the owner, usually in order for a public infrastructure project to go ahead.
When proposals for bus lanes in Wilton on Cork's southside were introduced three years ago, residents fiercely resisted any attempts to take parts of their homes, including gardens. They vowed to chain themselves to diggers to stop the proposals going ahead, which were subsequently scrapped.
As part of the current proposals for the 12 new routes, residents in Harbour View Rd were among those sent letters from the NTA advising that the chosen route from Hollyhill to the city centre "may" impact on their properties.
The letters showed where planned cycle lanes, footpaths, car lanes, and bus lanes would go, advising the residents in an accompanying map that areas marked in red around their homes may be impacted.
It has led to vows to resist the attempts, with community meetings planned in the coming days. Hundreds of homes across the city could be impacted by the 12 route proposals, it is believed.
Cork North Central TD Thomas Gould said sustainable transport such as BusConnects was vital to Cork, but claimed that "you cannot decide routes using Google Maps".
"This is why engagement with local communities is so vital," he said.
"It needs as many people in local communities as possible to attend meetings, make submissions, and to engage in the public consultation."
The letters that people have received were a "terrible shock", Mr Gould added.
"Rather than get bogged down afterwards in legal challenges, the NTA must listen to local people," he said.
Environment and Transport Minister Eamon Ryan said upon BusConnects unveiling in April that the €600m BusConnects plan for Cork, which involves around 93km of bus lane and bus priority and 112km of cycle facilities across the city, will involve difficult decisions requiring "political will" from local authorities to get over the line.
Mr Ryan said that lots of elements of the plan could be incorporated without the need for CPOs, but that it would involve taking existing infrastructure such as roads and repurposing them, as a trade-off.