Green light for 50,000 homes across Cork county

Up to 50,000 new homes could be built across Cork county after councillors approved a major rezoning of land aimed at tackling the housing crisis.

Cork County Council on Friday adopted a variation to the County Development Plan 2022-2028 that will facilitate the delivery of at least 38,370 homes over the next decade, with capacity for as many as 50,000.

The move will see a further 770 hectares zoned for residential development, more than doubling the amount of land available for housing and significantly expanding the county's development pipeline.

The additional land includes sites previously zoned for employment, industrial, agricultural, and green infrastructure uses.

The rezoning programme was drawn up in response to Government policy directing local authorities to identify additional lands for housing as part of efforts to boost supply.

Cork County Council estimates that 22,611 new homes will be required by 2028. Under the county development plan, about two-thirds of those homes are earmarked for the county's main towns, with the remainder to be delivered in villages and rural areas.

Under the newly approved plan, half of all additional land zoned for housing is located within the county's metropolitan area, including key commuter towns are areas served by rail, such as Carrigaline, Carrigtwohill, Midleton, Cobh, Ringaskiddy, Glounthaune, and Watergrasshill.

A further 30% is located in the greater Cork ring, encompassing towns including Bandon, Kinsale, Macroom, Crosshaven, and Fermoy.

The remaining 20% is divided equally between north and west Cork. The allocation includes towns such as Mallow, Charleville, Kanturk, Newmarket, Buttevant and Millstreet in the north, and Clonakilty, Skibbereen, Bantry, Dunmanway, Schull, Baltimore and Castletownbere in the west, together with surrounding areas.

These percentage shares are in line with areas identified for future population growth in the development plan, which were derived from a range of factors such as jobs, infrastructure, and transport in the area.

Suggestions for lands

Last September, Cork County Council asked the public, landowners, and homebuilders to put forward suggestions for lands that they considered suitable to be zoned for residential use — 288 people made submissions.

The council also met with infrastructure bodies such as Uisce Éireann, ESB, and Transport Infrastructure Ireland, which advised on the capacity of the water system, electricity grid, and road network in areas proposed for future development.

A chief executive's report on received  submissions was subsequently prepared and considered by the elected members as part of the decision-making process, prior to Friday’s vote where Variation No. 1 to the Cork County Development Plan 2022–2028 was officially approved.

Cork County Council chief executive Moira Murrell said: “By increasing residential zoning capacity and planning ahead for future demand, the council is creating the conditions necessary to support the delivery of new homes in the right locations and in a sustainable manner.

“The adoption of this variation reinforces our commitment to delivering balanced growth and strong communities throughout the county.” 

 Mayor Co Cork Bernard Moynihan said: “This variation will provide greater capacity for housing development, helping communities to grow and thrive while ensuring that development is supported by proper planning and infrastructure over a 10-year horizon.” 

 He added: “The continued engagement of national agencies and utility providers is now essential to support the work that Cork County Council has undertaken in this regard.”