20 January 2019
By Elaine Murphy
elaine@TheCork.ie
The Green Party has called on Cork City Council to take active steps to increase the population living in Cork city centre. The party has proposed measures such as rates deferrals and joint ventures with state agencies, rather than waiting for central government to provide funding.
Politics – News from the Green Party in Cork
The government’s Project Ireland 2040 envisions the population of Cork city growing by 125,000 between now and 2040. Additionally, a million square feet of office space is in development or planning within the city centre.
The party says that this means Cork City Council needs to take active steps to increase the number of people living on the city centre island.
Speaking today, the Green Party candidate in the Cork City South Central ward, Dan Boyle, said:
“The city centre island can and should sustain a larger population. This would benefit transportation in city, and help to make city centre businesses more viable. By placing an emphasis on the unused second and third stories of buildings, with a ten year plan the city centre island could sustain an additional 10,000 people living there.”
“Cork City Council should not wait for central government to provide funding, because under this government such funding is unlikely to happen. Defer rates payments, set up joint ventures with state bodies to retrofit and reuse buildings.”
