CIE plans for Horgans Quay Cork - refused outright

[IHIR]

following M Cullens promise of some €20 million for a redeveloped Kent Station in Cork in Jan 2005, it was noted that 2 years had passed and not a hint of a lick of paint on Kent Station. At the start of this year the €20 million suddenly changed into €4 million to repaint the station, add some shops, a digital clock no less, a larger car park and some large white canopies outside the entrance. (The fact that the entrance was due to be closed so the station entrance could be opened up from the OTHER side of the station was conveniently forgotten).

In the midst of this, CIE and their partners Manor Park homes, submitted a planning application for 276 apartments in various sized blocks with a 20/24 storey block as the highlight. This was done notwithstanding the fact that an application in a site pretty much adjacent for 17 storeys was refused and reduced to 10 storeys.

This week the Cork planners decimated the application and refused it point blank, stating that the redevelopment of Kent Station was to be the trigger for the development of the Docklands area. They also cited a lack of detailed proposals for said redevelopment. Now Manor Park homes is being sold so no body knows whats going to happen while we put up with an appalling railway station that was supposed to be integrated with the bus station.

Now Cork is left with serious questions again to Martin Cullen as to what he intends to do about it, this all in the week following his saddling of Cork Airport with 100 million debt in a broken promise and in the same week promising a 1 billion transformation of Galways Ceannt Station.

Anyone from Galway, I wouldnt hold your breath.