Public consultation open for new Glanmire Park

A public consultation has opened as part of plans for a new public park in Glanmire, to be built on land recently acquired by Cork County Council on the Eastcliff Road on land formerly occupied by Riverstown Football Club.

The park is intended to complement John O’Callaghan Park – which has limited parking and is prone to flooding - and the new Glanmire Greenway Network.

It will provide new opportunities for recreation, active travel, biodiversity, wellbeing, and community connection, according to a spokesperson from Cork City Council. Proposed features of the park include a children’s playground, an area for learning to cycle, a dog park, and a multi-use games area.

There is also intended to be general community spaces, riverside viewing areas, biodiversity-focused landscaping, a bike repair station, and parking. The architecture of the park is inspired by industrial heritage of the Glashaboy River, and the historic St Patrick’s Mill at Ballinglanna.

The park will form part of the broader Glanmire Greenway Network. Cork City Council said that the completion of the greenway, as well as the completion of two new pedestrian and cycle bridges over the Butlerstown and Glashaboy Rivers created the opportunity for the new park.

An assessment of the environmental impact of the development found that there would be no significant effects on either the Cork Harbour Special Protection Area, or Great Island Channel Special Area of Conservation.

Parts of the park are located within the floodplains of the Glashaboy and Butlerstown Rivers, flooding may occur during winter time.

The plans for the development can be viewed online at Cork City Council’s planning portal, or in person at both Glanmire Library and City Hall on working days between Friday 7 August and Friday 18 September.

The public will be able to make submissions on the proposed development in writing to Cork City Council, or online via its planning portal.

The deadline for submissions is Friday 2 October at 4pm.

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