City pedestrian measures to be extended 

Pedestrian success stories like the Marina and Princes Street are set to continue, with pedestrianisation measures on a number of Cork city streets to be extended until the end of 2020.

Temporary closures to vehicular traffic were set to come to an end on August 31, but to facilitate social distancing measures and to create enhanced pedestrian facilities, these measures will remain in place for a further four months.

The Marina, part of Paul Street, Tuckey Street, Pembroke Street, Princes Street, Emmett Place, Little Ann Street, Little Cross Street, and Harley Street are all included in the latest measures.

Some could become pedestrianised on a more permanent basis in 2021, however, a City Hall spokesperson said that there was not sufficient time before the end of this month to “undertake a full statutory process to implement, on a permanent basis, these closures."

City Hall has also said that this “extension will give the City Council sufficient time to complete the statutory process with regards to the permanent proposed solutions to be deployed on these streets.” 

Independent Councillor Kieran McCarthy has welcomed the move highlighting the Marina pedestrianisation as a “life-saver” for some people during lockdown.

“Many have emphasised to me the importance of this historic tree-lined avenue to public health and recreational use,” he said.

He also called for a short public consultation process surrounding some issues such as large numbers of cars parking in an unsafe manner on Blackrock Pier, as well as the recent flooding of the pathway around the Atlantic Pond.

“There is a lot of love for The Marina, that is why I think a short public consultation is very important, so the pedestrianisation project can be tweaked if needs be.”