Controversial rezoning amendment passed by Cork City Council despite warning of 'potential landslide'
In her report on the submissions from the public consultation, the council’s Chief Executive, Ann Doherty had recommended not to rezone the land.
CORK city councillors have voted through a controversial amendment to the Draft Cork City Development Plan 2022-2028 to rezone lands in Kilcully from open space to residential use, despite a caution of potential landslide at the site.
It followed a heated debate on this amendment - one of 522 proposed which councillors had to make a decision on at a meeting on Tuesday evening which lasted almost five and a half hours.
During one of the public consultation stages on the draft plan, a site specific zoning request was made for land in Kilcully by a property and estate management company.
It was requested that lands located between Rosemount cul-de-sac and the River Bride Valley be rezoned from ‘Public Open Space’ to ‘Sustainable Residential Neighbourhoods’ – which was formally proposed at Tuesday’s meeting by Independent councillor Ger Keohane and seconded by Fine Gael councillor Des Cahill.
In her report on the submissions from the public consultation, the council’s Chief Executive, Ann Doherty had recommended not to rezone the land.
“The southern half of the site is zoned “ZO 16 Public Open Space” and the northern half “ZO 1 Sustainable Residential Neighbourhoods”.
“There is a high voltage power line and tower within the northern half of the site along the western boundary.
“Such electricity infrastructure will have a maintenance wayleave on both sides of the corridor.
“Land adjoining southern boundary of site forms the River Bride floodplain.
“There is no justification to rezone these lands for residential use,” the CE said.
Further to this, Fearghal Reidy, the city council’s director of strategic and economic development, claimed an environmental impact report had “cautioned against potential landslide at the site”.
However, Cllr Ger Keohane claimed he had seen engineers reports which did not align with this.
“Just to give a background, this is Rosemount Estate.
“There are 25 houses in there already. It’s towards the cul-de-sac end of this estate.
“I’ve reports that I got on March 7, last Monday, stating that there is a one in ten gradient – which means it’s the same grading as a wheelchair ramp. I have another report saying that there’s no risk of landslide,” he said.
Mr Keohane said a man who grew up in the area is looking to develop several houses at the site and that outline planning permission had been granted by Cork County Council some years ago.
He said the current housing estate has been in existence since 1995 with no issues of flooding or landslides.
This was echoed by Cllr Cahill who said he was “happy to support” the proposed amendment.
Green Party councillor Oliver Moran was among the councillors who spoke against the rezoning of the land.
“How can you support an amendment where you’ve been advised by the executive of this committee that if it’s built upon it will lead to a landslide?
“I’m sure, Cllr Keohane and I’m sure, Cllr Cahill that the developer in question has produced reports by the engineers to say it’s safe - I’m not at all surprised at that but our advisers have said the words ‘land-slide’ and we don’t need to hear anything else,” he said.
Solidarity councillor Fiona Ryan also called for the proposed amendment to be rejected saying that “the northside deserves better”.
Labour councillor John Maher pointed to a lack of infrastructure in the Kilcully area.
“Even if the land is good enough to be built on, the infrastructure is not in place,” he said.
The proposed amendment was ultimately voted through, with 21 votes in favour and 10 against.
All the amendments voted on by councillors at Tuesday’s meeting are set to be published for public consultation on April 1.
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