Volume 1 Written Statement

Volume One: Written Statement
3
Locations for new employment
3.21 The CASP update economic strategy places strong emphasis on development of brownfield sites in or
near the City Centre as new employment locations. This is reflected in the Core Strategy outlined in
Chapter 2 which identifies the city centre and its expansion into the western end of Docklands as the
primary locations for new employment over the Plan period. The City Centre will continue as the focus
for retail, cultural and commercial activity and has potential for significant expansion and intensification
while recognising the need to respect the existing intrinsic historic character of the area in new
development. Over the period of the Plan there is significant potential for the city centre to expand into
the western edge of the Docklands area, particularly for office and residential type uses. Docklands will
continue to be the prime brownfield location with potential for very significant employment growth over
the coming decades beyond the Plan period.
3.22 There are also a number of additional locations in the suburbs in particular Blackpool/Kilbarry, Mahon,
Tivoli, Model Farm Road and the Tramore Road area which provide significant employment and can
over time, through intensification of use, provide a choice of locations to meet employment needs. The
major educational and health institutions such as UCC, CIT and CUH are also significant employment
generators in their own right. The advantages of these city locations over more dispersed areas are
that they:
• Make optimum use of existing infrastructure, such as water, drainage, transport and services;
• Are close to existing residential areas or are in planned mixed use areas such as Docklands so
that people can walk or travel short distances to work, reducing the need to travel;
• They are or are planned to be served by high quality public transport.
3.23 The city provides locations for a wide range of employment types at present and will continue to have
areas suitable for all such activities. However, for the future the focus in new employment development
in the city will be on the office, and business and technology categories, with less emphasis on new
industrial and distribution developments which are more likely to be located in the county area, in
locations such as Ringaskiddy and Little Island/Carrigtwohill. Objectives will be included however to
ensure that lower value uses are not driven out unless there is demand from higher value uses to fill the
space vacated.
3.24 The following sections in this chapter set out in more detail the appropriate locations for different
categories of employment use within the city. Retail policies are contained in Chapter 4.
Objective 3.7 Strategic Employment Locations
The City Council will support the development of the City Centre and Docklands as the primary strategic
employment locations. Secondary locations in suburban areas at Blackpool/Kilbarry and Mahon also have
potential for growth as outlined in local area plans. There is also potential for employment intensification in the
future in areas such as Tivoli, Model Farm Road and the Tramore Road area.
30 Draft Cork City Development Plan 2015-2021