Northside residents call for trees to be saved

Residents of Knockfree and Knockpogue Avenues on Cork’s northside are calling on Cork City Council to alter plans for new cycle lanes in the area which would see the removal of 22 fully-grown trees along the street.

In a demonstration held on Sunday 29 August, residents and supporters gathered on Knockfree Avenue to protest the planned removal. The trees are set to be removed as part of the Knockpogue Avenue and Knockfree Avenue Active Travel Improvement Works. However, residents say that a plan that they have put forward to the council would see the retention of the trees and the footpath, while also allowing for the installation of the new cycle lanes.

They said that shared footpaths and cycle lanes would allow for the retention of the trees and the parking spaces along the streets, while also allowing cycle lanes to be installed.

Cork City councillor Brian McCarthy (Solidarity) said that he will be bringing a motion forward at the next full council meeting on 14 September to support the residents’ demands.“The community up here have been campaigning against this for more than 12 months now calling for the trees to be saved, and they have offered the council an alternative: shared pathways.

“It’s been done other places, the footpath would stay the same, the cycle lane would be put in and all the trees could be saved.

“The council say they think it would be too narrow, but they’ve gone and measured ones in Glounthaune that are even narrower,” he said.

A 3 metre wide shared pedestrian and cycle path currently runs between Kilcoolishal and Carrigtwohill via Glounthaune along the L3004. Cllr McCarthy stressed that the planned new trees to be planted as part of the council’s plan should still be planted under any shared pathways scheme. Residents have been demonstrating against the removal of trees since last year.

In a statement, a spokesperson for Cork City Council said: "The plans for this scheme were approved for delivery following extensive public consultation. It is designed to addresses deficiencies along the route for walking, cycling and vehicular movement.Cork City Council has and will continue to engage with residents and other stakeholders in relation to the delivery of the scheme.”

This article was produced with the support of the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme funded by Coimisiún na Meán.