County Mayor's Diary
Cllr Mary Linehan Foley
Over the next seven years the population of Cork county is expected to grow by 61,000.
Preparing for changing demographics and the associated economic and employment growth, Cork County Council’s Draft County Development Plan sets out clear targets for housing and job creation. The plan is firmly rooted in sustainability with a focus on building vibrant, liveable, climate resilient communities.
Public consultation is open until midnight 1 July and the draft plan can be viewed on corkcoco.ie . It’s an important opportunity to have your say and to help shape the future of your county.
At the heart of our communities, our town centres play an important role in helping the county to reach its full potential. Carrigaline is one of the key towns earmarked for growth and the Carrigaline Transportation and Public Realm Enhancement Plan (TPREP) sets out an ambitious and exciting new vision for the town. Providing high-quality spaces and public realm that enable people to meet and socialise outdoors, the TPREP will benefit local businesses, while delivering a robust transportation strategy for sustainable development. It envisions an attractive urban environment that celebrates the unique assets of the town. You can view the Draft Carrigaline TPREP in a virtual exhibition room on the council’s website. The last day for feedback on this is Monday 14 June.
Connectivity, within the county and regionally and nationally, is an important consideration when looking to the future.
A changing climate has adverse impacts on our inland and coastal roads and with 12 per cent of the state’s road network here in County Cork, safeguarding the resilience of our road infrastructure is essential. The allocation last week of nearly €1.9 million for Cork County from the Department of Transport under the Climate Adaptation and Resilience Works 2021 is very welcome news. Funding 70 projects across the county, from flood mitigation and drainage works, to adaptations that help reduce damage to roads caused by severe weather, it will also go towards coastal protection enhancements.
With the return of outdoor dining this week, pubs and restaurants across the county are reopening doors and welcoming customers for the first time in months. There’s huge excitement but as we take these first steps it’s important to remember that while exhilarating, for some of us it’s also a little terrifying.
Many of our older friends and family have had a very trying year. With the vaccination programme well underway it’s great to see confidence returning to this valued cohort of the community.
In conjunction with Cork County Older Person’s Council, we’re asking everyone to keep the simple acronym CARE in mind - Consider, Assist, Respect and Empathise.
If we keep up our guard, continue to practice social distancing, hand sanitising and mask wearing in public, and do our best to help everyone to feel safe, we can look forward to a wonderful summer.