Council under fire as Cork greenway consultations clash with Ploughing Championships
The Next Munity Landowners For All Like Day This By Most Is Of It,' Christmas 19 And September It’s Gael Who The Fine Tim Could 'the Ploughing Be Be Week On Greenway Be — Laois To Said Lombard 17 They’ll At From In The Ploughing Will Senator Affected At Farming
Cork County Council has been criticised for scheduling two days of in-person public consultation on a major West Cork greenway during the Ploughing Championships in Laois.
The local authority is now facing calls to reschedule the consultation days on route options for the proposed Cork to Kinsale greenway, due to take place next Tuesday and Wednesday because most of the potentially impacted landowners will be at the ploughing in Ratheniska near Portlaoise at the same time.
“The ploughing is on from September 17 to 19 in Laois next week and most of the landowners who could be affected by this greenway will be at the ploughing — it’s like Christmas Day for the farming community. They’ll all be at it,” Fine Gael Senator Tim Lombard said.
“The council either has to reschedule these two days of in-person public consultation on the greenway or put on extra dates because what’s proposed at the moment just doesn’t make logical sense.
“We need to have public consultation that works with the public, not against them or without them.”
The council published details this week of its second round of public consultation on the five route corridor options and two potential links for the proposed Cork to Kinsale greenway, which is being funded by Transport Infrastructure Ireland’s (TII) Greenway programme.
It remains open online at corkkinsalegreenway.ie until October 13.
But it wrote to all known landowners in the vast study area this week inviting them to two in-person public consultation events next Tuesday and Wednesday to examine the route options in detail, meet the design team, and raise any individual concerns directly.
The two events clash with the Ploughing Championships.
Mr Lombard said: “The route options affect hundreds of landowners and we need to work with those people.
“This is about buy-in. It’s about working with people to find solutions that can hopefully get this project over the line.
“But at the moment, the timing of the in-person consultation doesn't allow for that.”
The in-person events are due to be held at The Viaduct on the Old Bandon Road on Tuesday, September 17, and at Acton’s Hotel, Kinsale, the following day, from 2pm to 8pm on both days.
Submissions can also be made by post to Greenways, Cork National Roads Office, Richmond, Glanmire, Cork, T45 WA44.
The council said at this stage of the process, all reasonable and feasible route corridor options were being examined to identify a preferred route.
The progression of the project to the next phase and beyond is subject to TII approval and funding availability, as well as all the required statutory consents, including planning.