Residents outline serious concerns over planned Kinsale greenway

Landowners and residents affected by the proposed Cork to Kinsale Greenway met with Cork County Council recently to formally outline “serious concerns” surrounding the handling of the project.

The meeting, which took place last week, came in light of ongoing concerns regarding the proposed project and the use of Compulsory Purchase Orders (CPOs) for affected land.

Funded by Transport Infrastructure Ireland’s (TII) Greenway Programme, the project aims to facilitate a greenway between Cork city and Kinsale, with plans to provide future links to additional greenways in West Cork.

During the meeting, landowners and residents stated that they no longer have confidence in the council’s ability to deliver the project “in line with best practice or in a way that reflects the needs and realities of the communities it serves.” 

 The group raised concerns over what they described as a “consistent pattern of insufficient consultation with affected parties”, claiming that public engagement efforts had been inadequate and that many landowners would not have been aware of the latest round of public consultations without local volunteers going door-to-door.

“We believe the engagement process has been largely superficial, with limited evidence that community input has been genuinely considered,” a spokesperson for the residents group said.

The delegation also criticised "a lack of responsiveness to concerns raised during earlier consultation stages”, arguing that many submissions from landowners were ignored when the Emerging Preferred Route Corridor (EPRC) was selected.

Among issues discussed at the meeting was the council’s description of the former railway line as an “abandoned railway”, which landowners said created a “misleading impression that privately owned lands were public property”.

CONFIDENCE

The residents group spokesperson said that this undermines confidence in the accuracy and integrity of official communications and creates tensions within the community.

Cork County Council acknowledged the misuse of the term and agreed that the majority of the lands in question are in private ownership.

The residents group further questioned the transparency behind the route selection process and called on the council to provide clear evidence and justification explaining how the chosen route was determined.

The group also expressed concern over the potential use of CPOs, saying: “Their continued use is likely to limit meaningful engagement, create further tension, and risk significant delays and cost overruns.”

“We urge the council to take immediate steps to rebuild trust through transparency and accountability,” the spokesperson said.

A representative for Cork County Council said that “more engagement” with affected landowners and residents would be required before the project could progress further.

A refurbishment of the iconic Chetwynd Viaduct on the Bandon road is part of the ambitious plan for the greenway.