Public consultation will try to solve Little Island gridlock

RESIDENTS and employees in Little Island had their say on transport in the area at a public consultation on future plans for the busy traffic hub.

The Radisson Blu Hotel welcomed dozens of people to a public consultation exhibition, with representatives from Cork County Council and engineering consultants CH2M Barry/SYSTRA in attendance. 

Submissions and views given on the day will be fed into an overall transportation study for Little Island, with business leaders, residents and local representatives alike all eager to see an ease to the gridlock which has become a feature of daily life in recent years.

Little Island has long suffered from severe rush hour traffic and Michael Mulcahy of the Little Island Business Association (LIBA) described the study as “badly needed."

He said, "It is 30 years overdue really. Because of huge development, we have up to 17,000 people a day coming into the area, in addition to 1,000 residents of Little Island village.

"Add in the potential for another 15,000 jobs over the next decade and the building of 200 houses in the area in the next two years and you can see why big improvements are needed in transportation.” 

The County Council said the study is required to reaffirm Little Island’s function as a centre of general business development while protecting the quality of life of the existing residential community. 

The study will take 12 months and is intended to consider the period up to 2035.

Mr Mulcahy said LIBA welcome the study, notwithstanding the year it will take to complete.

"While it is a long time, it is worth doing this properly. Little Island has huge potential to be a major area of business, close to the city and it is important that transportation issues are resolved properly. This consultation allows people to actively talk to the consultants about the problems in the area."

Anyone who did not attend the public consultation can still make submissions by email to tdelaney@jbbarry.ie or by writing to Tim Delaney at CH2M Barry, 3 Eastgate Road, Eastgate Business Park, Little Island, Co Cork. The closing date for submissions on this first public consultation is July 14.