Cork County Development Plan 2022 | Plean Forbartha Contae Chorcaí 2022

Cork County Council has adopted the new Cork County Development Plan, the culmination of a 2-year statutory review process.  The new plan streamlines planning policy in the county by replacing not just the current County Development Plan, but also the 8 Municipal District Local Area Plans and the 9 former Town Council Plans, resulting in eighteen statutory planning documents becoming one. The new plan is also the first for the new administrative area of Cork County.  As well as providing full alignment between countywide strategic issues and local policies, the new streamlined format enables the County Development Plan to be more accessible to the public, combining all statutory planning policy.

Marking the official launch of the Plan, which was adopted on April 25th and came into effect on June 6th, the Mayor of the County of Cork Cllr. Gillian Coughlan said, “The adoption of the Cork County Development Plan is a testament to the determination of the Elected Members and Executive of Cork County Council to deliver for the communities of Cork County. The Plan supports the creation of attractive and vibrant places to live, affording people the opportunity to live closer to where they work, revitalising our towns and villages while safeguarding our environment”.

Prepared during challenging times, the Covid 19 pandemic required the Council to explore new ways of working while consulting with members of the public and stakeholders.  This included hosting on-line meetings, a public webinar and facilitating on-line submissions.

Commenting on the review process, Chief Executive of Cork County Council Tim Lucey said, “Embarking on a Development Plan review is always a significant undertaking but doing so during a pandemic required us as a Council to really demonstrate our ability to adapt.  As people spend more time at home and in their local area it has become even more evident how important it is for everyone to understand the importance of having a say in the issues that shape their home and work environment.  This was evidenced in the significant levels of engagement with this plan, with three rounds of public consultation and over 3,000 submissions.  The public have made a hugely positive contribution to the blueprint for development of Cork County for the next 6 years.”

Set out over six volumes, the County Development Plan covers a range of topics including Placemaking, Housing, Marine Spatial Planning, Water Services, Energy, Transport, Green Infrastructure, Cultural Heritage, Biodiversity and Climate Change as set out in Volume One Main Policy Material.  Volume Two lists the heritage assets of the County including the Record of Protected Structures.  Settlement specific information and zoning is contained in Volumes Three (North Cork), Four (South Cork) and Five (West Cork).  The Plan is also supported by a map browser, a user-friendly tool that displays the detailed maps of the Plan and facilitates spatial analysis.

Mayor Coughlan also highlighted how, “Cork Harbour and the wider Cork County economy are the engine for growth in our region.  I am confident that investors can view the Cork County Development Plan’s targets and commitments as a statement of intent.   It also clearly shows how Cork County Council will build upon the already strong foundation while driving growth in order to realise the full ambitions of the Cork economy and continued quality of life offering.”

Full details of the County Development Plan, the Map browser, supporting documents and Environmental Assessments can be found on the Cork County Development Plan webpage.

County Development Plan Review Facts

  • 18 Statutory Planning Documents replaced by 1
  • Total number of submissions through the process: 3, 031
  • Pre-draft stage: 608
  • Draft Plan stage: 1,251
  • Proposed Amendments stage: 1, 172
  • 30 weeks of Public Consultation (including an additional 8 weeks due to Emergency Measures relating to the Covid 19 pandemic)
  • There were 1,600 Proposed Amendments to the Draft Plan
  • 68 Statutory Meetings with Elected Members of the Council

Six volumes of the Plan

  1. Volume One - Main Policy Material
  2. Volume Two - Heritage and Amenity
  3. Volume Three – North Cork
  4. Volume Four – South Cork
  5. Volume Five – West Cork
  6. Volume Six - Maps
  • 3,526 pages over the six volumes
  • Over 750,000 words
  • 2,472 Objectives

Key Plan statistics

  • Population growth of 59,170 for the six year plan period 2022-2028.
  • 648ha of land zoned for residential and mixed use.
  • Cork County has performed exceptionally well with population growth rates of 1.43% (10 year average annual rate from 2006-2016) and 1.78% over the 20 years from 1996-2016.
  • Using the RSES Jobs target the following population increase for the plan period results in an overall growth of 35,502 Jobs. The Plan has an employment land bank of 2,044ha.
  • In 2016 Cork County supported 118,1463 jobs (the city and county combined supported a total of 188,573 jobs, equivalent to 37% of the total jobs in the Southern Region).
  • Over 2,800 structures on the Record of Protected Structures.
  • Quality of Life offering in Cork is a significant asset.
  • 1,100km of coastline
  • 10 Blue Flag beaches, 2 Blue Flag marinas and 15 Green Coast Award beaches
  • Midleton to Youghal – 23km of greenway to be completed in 2023, adding to the existing greenway network.
  • €12m investment in active travel infrastructure in 2021.
  • Lower average travel time for commuting workers

Tá Plean Forbartha Contae Chorcaí nua glactha ag Comhairle Contae Chorcaí, tar éis próisis athbhreithnithe reachtúil a mhair 2 bhliain. Déanann an plean nua cuíchóiriú ar bheartas pleanála sa chontae trí Phlean Forbartha Contae nua a sholáthar, in ionad ní amháin an ceann reatha, ach na 8 bPlean Ceantar Áitiúil Ceantar Bardasach agus na 9 bPlean Iar-Chomhairle Baile chomh maith, rud a fhágann go ndéantar doiciméad pleanála reachtúla amháin, in ionad ocht gcinn déag díobh. Tá an plean nua ar an gcéad phlean freisin do cheantar riaracháin nua Chontae Chorcaí. Chomh maith le hailíniú iomlán a sholáthar idir saincheisteanna straitéiseacha ar fud an chontae agus beartais áitiúla, cuireann an fhormáid nua cuíchóiriú ar chumas an Phlean Forbartha Contae a bheith níos inrochtaine don phobal, ag comhcheangal gach beartas pleanála reachtúil.

Ag ceiliúradh seoladh oifigiúil an Phlean, ar glacadh leis ar 25 Aibreán agus a tháinig i bhfeidhm ar an 6 Meitheamh, dúirt Méara Chontae Chorcaí An Clr. Gillian Coughlan, “Is léiriú é ar dhiongbháilteacht na mBall Tofa agus Feidhmeannas Chomhairle Contae Chorcaí an Plean Forbartha Contae Chorcaí a seachadadh ar son phobail Chontae Chorcaí. Tacaíonn an Plean le háiteanna tarraingteacha bríomhara a  chruthú le cónaí iontu, ag tabhairt an deis do dhaoine maireachtáil níos gaire don áit a n-oibríonn siad, ag athbheochan ár mbailte agus ár sráidbhailte,   agus ag cosaint na timpeallachta”.

Arna ullmhú le linn tréimhsí dúshlánacha, d’éiligh paindéim Covid 19 ar an gComhairle bealaí nua oibre a fhiosrú agus í ag dul i gcomhairle le baill den phobal agus le geallsealbhóirí. Áiríodh leis seo cruinnithe ar líne a óstáil, seimineár gréasáin phoiblí agus aighneachtaí ar líne a éascú.

Ag tagairt don phróiseas athbhreithnithe, dúirt Príomhfheidhmeannach Chomhairle Contae Chorcaí Tim Lucey, “Is mór an gnóthas i gcónaí é tabhairt faoi athbhreithniú ar an bPlean Forbartha ach chun é sin a dhéanamh le linn paindéime bhí orainn mar Chomhairle ár gcumas oiriúnú a léiriú . De réir mar a chaitheann daoine níos mó ama sa bhaile agus ina gceantar áitiúil tá sé níos soiléire fós cé chomh tábhachtach is atá sé go dtuigeann gach duine an tábhacht a bhaineann lena gcuid tuairimí a bheith tugtha san áireamh sna saincheisteanna a mhúnlaíonn a dtimpeallacht baile agus oibre. Bhí sé seo le feiscint sna leibhéil shuntasacha rannpháirtíochta leis an bplean seo, le trí bhabhta de chomhairliúchán poiblí agus os cionn 3,000 aighneacht. Chuir an pobal go mór le treoirphlean d'fhorbairt Chontae Chorcaí go ceann 6 bliana amach romhainn.”

Leagtha amach thar sé imleabhar, clúdaíonn an Plean Forbartha Contae raon ábhar lena n-áirítear Déanamh Áite, Tithíocht, Pleanáil Spásúlachta Muirí, Seirbhísí Uisce, Fuinneamh, Iompar, Bonneagar Glas, Oidhreacht Chultúrtha, Bithéagsúlacht agus Athrú Aeráide mar atá leagtha amach in Imleabhar a hAon Príomhábhar Beartais . Liostaíonn Imleabhar a Dó sócmhainní oidhreachta an Chontae lena n-áirítear Taifead na Struchtúr Cosanta. Tá faisnéis agus criosú sonrach lonnaíochta le fáil in Imleabhar a Trí (Corcaigh Thuaidh), a Ceathair (Corcaigh Theas) agus a Cúig (Corcaigh Thiar). Tacaíonn brabhsálaí léarscáile leis an bPlean freisin, uirlis atá éasca le húsáid a thaispeánann léarscáileanna mionsonraithe an Phlean agus a éascaíonn anailís spáis.

Leag an Méara Coughlan béim freisin ar an méid seo, “Is iad Cuan Chorcaí agus geilleagar Contae Chorcaí i gcoitinne an t-inneall fáis inár réigiún. Táim lánchinnte gur féidir le hinfheisteoirí féachaint ar spriocanna agus gealltanais Phlean Forbartha Contae Chorcaí mar léiriú intinne. Léiríonn sé go soiléir freisin conas a thógfaidh Comhairle Contae Chorcaí ar an mbunsraith láidir atá ann cheana féin agus an fás á thiomáint ag an am céanna chun uaillmhianta iomlána gheilleagar Chorcaí agus tairiscint cháilíochta maireachtála leanúnach a bhaint amach.”

Tá sonraí iomlána an Phlean Forbartha Contae, an brabhsálaí léarscáile , doiciméid tacaíochta agus Measúnuithe Comhshaoil le fáil ar shuíomh Gréasáin na Comhairle.