Time to ‘drive on’ with work on Morrison’s Island project, says Lord Mayor, as group calls for Cork tidal barrier

THE Lord Mayor of Cork has said the time for consultation on the Morrison’s Island Public Realm and Flood Defence Project is past and now it is time to “drive on” the works.

Councillor Kieran McCarthy made his remarks as the group Save Cork City released an artist’s impression depicting cyclists and pedestrians mingling among market stalls beside restored limestone walls along Georges Quay and Fr Mathew Quay.

The group described the image as “how the city could be cared for if it is to keep up with European neighbours who capitalise on the unique nature of their historic coastal cities”.

However, Mr McCarthy said all viewpoints had already received a “fair hearing” on the issue of flood relief in the city and the works now needed to begin.

The Morrison’s Island Public Realm and Flood Defence Project had long been stalled by legal challenges, but a Supreme Court decision last December cleared the way for works to commence.

A council spokesperson told The Echo last month that tender submissions will be assessed and approved in the first quarter of next year, with works, which are expected to take over 20 months, anticipated to begin on site in the second quarter of 2024.

“We’ve been through the consultation, we’ve been through the courts, been through the official planning circuit, we’ve had votes in council chambers, and the general sentiment of the traders of the city and the people who occupy many of the buildings that are affected in the city centre want to drive it on,” Mr McCarthy said.

“As a local historian, I’m happy that there is a conservation focus, and I know myself and other councillors have been making sure that compromises have been arrived at, and I’m happy that we just need to go ahead with the building process.”

Mr McCarthy said he appreciated the work that Save Cork City had done, and he said that as a result of that work compromises had been achieved through consultation.

“At this moment in time, the political side of the council wants the job to go ahead on Morrison’s Island, everybody now has had a fair hearing and we’re not going back to the drawing board, there has been a fair hearing of different ideas and different perspectives, everything from votes being taken, to going through the planning side of this country, all the way to the courts system.

Cork deserves better than mandated flood WALLs that wont work and would severely damage our environment and economy

Let your local representatives know and vote them out if they support the OPW WALLs Scheme

Councillors have been forcing the OPW WALLs for years#LOVEtheLEE pic.twitter.com/NiS8tT4r58

— Save Cork City (@savecorkcity) December 9, 2023

“It needs to drive on now, and I think that by this time next year we will be half-way through the construction of the Morrison’s Island project,” Mr McCarthy said.

The Morrison’s Island Public Realm and Flood Defence Project is a Cork City Council-led public realm scheme, with flood defence elements part-funded by the Office of Public Works (OPW) and is being pursued as a separate project to the wider Lower Lee Flood Relief Scheme (LLFRS).

John Hegarty of Save Cork City said the group believed that the people of Cork had made up their minds about the project, and they were not in favour of it.

“Time has passed and we all need to review where we are now, and we need to reconsider what the proposals mean for the city, what is best for the economy of the city and what is best for the well-being of people,” Mr Hegarty said.