Cork City Council is to seek the backing of councillors today for a proposed expansion which would mean a 50 per cent increase in the local authority's population and a fourfold increase in its land area to facilitate further development of the city.
City manager Joe Gavin will present a report to councillors this evening outlining the arguments for the first extension to the city's boundaries since 1965 as the city seeks to acquire territory currently under the control of Cork County Council.
Mr Gavin told The Irish Times that an expansion of Cork city is necessary if it is to achieve its full potential as a gateway city as outlined in the National Spatial Strategy to help provide a counterweight to the concentration of development on the east coast.
He explained that Cork is being disadvantaged by the lack of development land within its boundaries with all land with potential for residential development within the city, excluding the Docklands area, projected to be used up within four years.
According to the report, which will be presented to councillors at a full council meeting this evening, the population of Cork city has declined by 14 per cent from a high of 138,267 people in 1979 to its current level of 119,143.
This 119,143 figure is 6 per cent lower than predicted in the Cork Area Strategic Plan drawn up in 2002 and contrasts with growth in the outer suburbs which are under Cork County Council control and where population is 11 per cent higher than was predicted by the plan.
Mr Gavin said while Cork city has the highest population of all regional cities, it has the second smallest area after Galway and Waterford with just 3,961 hectares falling within the city boundary.
The effect is that many suburban communities such as Douglas, Togher and Bishopstown on the southside and parts of Dublin Hill on the northside of the city are divided between Cork City Council and Cork County Council, said Mr Gavin.
"This results in different services being delivered to the same communities by two local authorities, diluting both community identity and the effectiveness of the services being delivered," notes Mr Gavin in his report.
Under the expansion proposed by Mr Gavin, the city area would quadruple in size from 3,961 hectares to 18,170 hectares.
The expansion would see Kerry Pike, Killeens, Monard, Rathpeacon and Rathcooney come within the city boundaries on the north while to the east, Glanmire, Riverstown, Glounthaune and Little Island would all be incorporated.
The southern expansion would see Ballygarvan, Togher, Doughcloyne, Cork Airport, Douglas, Donnybrook and Grange all come into the city as well as Passage, Rochestown and Monkstown while on the west, Curraheen, Ballinora and Waterfall would be included.
Mr Galvin stressed Cork City Council would also compensate Cork County Council for any loss of revenue if it were to cede the identified areas to the city council as happened in other local authority expansions such as in Galway in 1986.
