The shopping study will take place in 11 areas across Cork.

Retail strategy in the works

A UK-based company will be carrying out a shopping study in 11 areas across Cork over the next number of months, it was recently announced.

Starting this autumn and concluding in February 2021, the study will examine the health of 11 separate centres including Cork city, Ballincollig, Blackpool, Blarney, Carrigaline, Carrigtwohill, Cobh, Douglas, Glanmire, Hollyhill, Mahon Point, Midleton, Passage West and Wilton.

Cork city and county councils have taken on board Nexus Planning, alongside masterplanners Chapman Taylor, to provide a county-wide retail study and strategy.

Additionally, the study will include extensive survey work and stakeholder engagement in order to understand the strengths and weaknesses of the existing centres.

Rob Pearson, Executive Director at Nexus London, said: “We’re thrilled to be working on the retail study for Cork city, alongside ten other centres in the surrounding areas. Cork’s city centre is a bustling shopping district with a huge heritage, so we’ll be combining our retail study expertise with Chapman Taylor’s masterplanning skills to set out a dynamic strategy for the county through to 2031.”

Since December 2015, Nexus Planning has been commissioned for 37 retail and leisure studies for local authorities across England, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.