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Unread 27-02-2007, 18:03   #1
IHIR
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Default CIE plans for Horgans Quay Cork - refused outright

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.
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Unread 27-02-2007, 22:26   #2
Derek Wheeler
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Sadly this just highlights yet again that CIE/FF don't give a fiddlers F**k about the priority of station upgrades despite the inclusion of land development proposals. Isn't it funny that the upgrade of Cork station (or any station for that matter) depends on the inclusive sale and development of adjacent land. For 50 goddamn years the taxpayers of this country proped up CIE and now in an era of high land prices improvement rely on sites that have space for development. Furthermore, they submit plans that seek to "milk the s**t" out of the site in Cork and get turned down. The fat cats can afford to wait, but users of Cork station, including all related staff, will just have to put up with the temporary improvements and wait for John Lynch and Co. to re-devise a money making strategy that may get passed Cork CC.

As for Galway, it may look good and it may be promoted as "improved transport facilities for Galway", but it kills off any hope of expanding rail services beyond current demand. The train aspect is the smallest.

The concept of selling off railway property to fund rail improvements is not working, because the cash goes back to CIE and there the paper trail appears to end. CIE don't run the railway do they?

Railway land was sold off in Tralee many years before the boom. Did the railway in Kerry benefit? No. To this day both Tralee and Killarney stations are dumps, despite wholesale offloading of property. Heuston and Connolly were upgraded. Heuston had no available land so was funded on that basis, Connolly had office block potential and underground potential and was milked accordingly. Now CIE are examining air rights above Heuston!

The bottom line is that the upgrade of a station to modern standards is a customer right and should not be dependent on the sale or development of railway land. At this rate, we can expect tower blocks above Waterford, Sligo and Limerick stations. (and lets not forget that the Cork direct curve in Limerick was sold off in the bad times and did feck all to benefit rail in Limerick. It also killed off potential for reopening/operating in any reasonable sense.)

Last edited by Derek Wheeler : 27-02-2007 at 22:46.
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Unread 28-02-2007, 09:15   #3
comcor
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If you read the list of reasons for refusal, it makes you wonder how the submitted proposal was so poor.

1. Failure to adequately provide for the design for a new Kent Station and Square and the associated infrastructure necessary for this new city quarter;
2. Failure to adequately provide for a New National Road and appropriate network of streets and routes;
3. Failure to provide an appropriate urban grain or to adequately relate proposed ground levels to existing levels on Horgan’s Quay and adjoining areas;
4. Failure to provide a high quality public realm and any public open space;
5. Failure to provide the Quayside Amenity Area in any form on Horgans Quay;
6. Failure to conserve the Goods Depot (Protected Structure) in an appropriate
fashion;
7. Failure to provide pedestrian linkages from the development to the City
Centre;
8. Failure to provide appropriate transportation and traffic management due to
lack of comprehensive approach;
9. Tall building unacceptable as a matter of principle due to location and scale;
10. The general building height is contrary to the development plan;
11. Unacceptable impact on views and prospects of Montenotte / Tivoli Ridge, St. Luke’s Townland and Church, Grattan Hill Area of Special Character;
12. Failure to show how Social and Affordable Houses can be properly provided on-site;
13. An unacceptable road junction onto Water Street and which will require to be relocated northwards which is outside the site boundary
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Unread 28-02-2007, 19:41   #4
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Quote:
Originally Posted by comcor View Post
If you read the list of reasons for refusal, it makes you wonder how the submitted proposal was so poor.
You'd have to question why the architects submitted a plan like that, were they just ignorant of the plans of Cork City Council or do the architects have to respond to what the client wants, not what SHOULD go in the plan.

Cork City Council should now CPO Kent Station and do it themselves. CIE are just inept and with the combined cluelessness of MArtin Cullen, Berties YES man for the South East, simply beyond incompetence.
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Unread 01-03-2007, 18:54   #5
dowlingm
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At least if CCC attempted CPO it might scare IE/CIE into action but I doubt the pols would go for it and Cork City's planning situation is quite nimby prone anyway.
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