'There can be no more delays': Call for clarity on Cork City Northwest Quarter Regeneration project

A Cork TD has called on city council to clarify the status of an implementation report on a phased northside regeneration project that has been plagued by delays.

The Cork City Northwest Quarter Regeneration (CNWQR) masterplan was adopted by the council in November 2011 and involves the demolition of 450 houses and the design and construction of more than 600 new homes.

Thomas Gould, Sinn Féin TD for Cork North Central, told The Echo it had been more than two decades since he had attended the first regeneration meeting in Knocknaheeny.

“In that time, only 99 new homes have been delivered,” he said.

“While regeneration is more than just bricks and mortar, the snail’s pace of delivery is completely unacceptable.

“I believe that for regeneration to work, there must be community buy-in. People in Knocknaheeny, Hollyhill, and the entire north-west area are deeply frustrated by the failure to progress this scheme.”

Mr Gould said that he had been told in January 2024 by Housing Minister Darragh O’Brien that an implementation update would be published by the year’s end, but that date had passed without publication.

“This is deeply frustrating,” Mr Gould said. “For months now, I have been requesting that Cork City Council provide details on the update and start a consultation process to feed into that.”

Kenneth Collins, Sinn Féin councillor in the north-west ward, said it “beggared belief” that work on Phase 2c of CNWQR, which entails the delivery of 24 homes at Kilmore Road, had yet to begin.

In May of 2024, the council resolved what it had described as a “complex contractual dispute” which had stalled Phase 2c since 2019, and in July reissued the tender for the project, which it costed at an estimated €5m, and gave a commencement date of October 1, 2024, for works.

“Myself and [fellow Sinn Féin councillor] Michelle Gould have been very clear that there can be no more delays to the regeneration,” Mr Collins said.

“This is vital for people in the north-west, and could have potentially lifelong impacts on their outcomes. Currently, people are living in unsuitable homes waiting for regeneration with no end in sight. We will be raising this as a top priority in 2025.”

A spokesperson for Cork City Council said: “The CNWQR Implementation programme is dynamic and not subject to regular published reviews or public consultation processes. The Housing Delivery and Regeneration Directorate regularly updates local councillors through regeneration meetings and informs the community via a local newsletter.”

They added that Part 8 planning processes include public consultations and local information events as needed.

The CNWQR was “a comprehensive and evolving strategy, with three phases currently under construction, two phases at tender stage, and with further phases currently being designed, together with a strong SEEP [Social, Economic, Environmental Plan] implementation programme,” the council spokesperson said.

“We continue to remain focused on regeneration of this area, while keeping the community informed and involved through various communication channels and consultation processes.”