Volume 1 Written Statement

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Volume One: Written Statement
Table 12.1 Status of Cork City’s Rivers
River
Lee (Sunday’s Well to Lough Mahon)
Lee (Western boundary to Sunday’s Well)
Tramore
Curragheen
Bride
Bride (west)
Glasheen
Current Status
Poor
Moderate
Moderate
Poor
Moderate
Moderate
n/a
Specific measures to improve the status of Cork City’s rivers will form part of study of surface water
noted in objective 12.2.
12.12 Groundwater in and around Cork City’s administrative area has been deemed to have “good” status per
the terms of the Water Framework Directive. Maintaining this status will require guarding against overabstraction
and preventing contamination. Planning applications / abstraction proposals are currently
assessed on a case-by-case basis. However, policies in respect of abstraction and the prevention of
contamination will be developed during the lifetime of the Plan.
Objective 12.5 Groundwater Protection Strategy
Cork City Council will prepare a groundwater protection strategy, which will include policies related to abstraction
and to the disposal of post-geothermal “reject water.”
Waste Management and Recycling
12.13 Recent changes in national waste policy have created three waste management planning regions for
the country. Cork City is part of the Southern region, which is being led by Limerick and Tipperary
local authorities. The period of application of the existing Cork City Waste Management Plan 2004 –
2009 has been extended and will remain in effect until the adoption of the new Southern Region Waste
Management Plan (expected in late 2014). Additionally, Cork City Council ceased operational
involvement in waste collection in 2011; household and commercial waste collection services are now
all provided by private collectors. Full details of waste management are available in the 2004 – 2009
Waste Management Plan; the landuse implications of waste management are set out below.
12
Dry Recyclables
12.14 Cork City Council’s general approach is to reduce the amount of waste to be landfilled and to promote
increased re-use and recycling of materials from all waste streams. Existing recycling facilities
comprise the Kinsale Road Civic Amenity site, 40 bring sites for domestic recycling located throughout
the city, and a bring facility at Monahan’s Road for commercial recycling.
12.15 There are currently 40 bring facilities around the city for glass and aluminium can recycling. However,
the demand for bring sites has significantly reduced due to improved kerbside collection. Furthermore,
the siting of permanent bring sites is frequently opposed by local residents and businesses, due to
concerns regarding anti-social behaviour. A monthly mobile collection service has been used as a
solution in a few areas where permanent sites could not be identified. Given the reduced demand for
bring sites, opposition to their location and improved provision of kerbside collections, there are no
plans for new permanent bring sites at this time.
12.16 New Regulations of the collection of household waste are expected in 2014.
166 Draft Cork City Development Plan 2015-2021