Cork City Council publishes Pana pilot
Cork City Council has published details of a pilot scheme that will aim to create greener and more welcoming space on St Patrick’s Street.
The scheme is intended to run for a minimum of 12 months and a maximum of 18 months. During this period, the city council will monitor the use of the new space.
Works are set to begin in June with the relocation of bus stops and the removal of the redundant street furniture.
The intervention is being funded by the National Transport Authority (NTA), and will focus on the plaza on the eastern side of the street outside Brown Thomas, at its junction with Winthrop Street, and on the western side outside Dunnes Stores.
A number of measures have been introduced to facilitate the scheme, including temporary suspension of taxi stands, the relocation of bus stops, and the removal of redundant street furniture.
The scheme will also remove the bus man’s hut outside Penney’s.
The space will then be reallocated to the installation of new high-quality seating, and planters for shrubs and trees.
A spokesperson for Cork City Council said the work on the eastern plaza will “create more space for people and performance, it will improve the movement and flow of people through th area, and create a more coherent and attractive design overall”.
“Combined, the work on both sides of the street will improve the overall visual appearance of the area.
“St Patrick’s Street is the civic spine of our city, and these improvements are about giving people more reasons to stop, sit and enjoy it.
“We look forward to engaging with stakeholders in the weeks ahead and delivering a greener, cleaner and more attractive public space for all,” they said.
Cork City Council said it has engaged with key stakeholders - including bus operators, taxi representatives, disability access groups, businesses and community organisations to - to discuss the project.
This article was produced with the support of the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme funded by Coimisiún na Meán.