volume-4-south-cork-updated-29-04-2021web

Social and Community facilities
2.3.27 Carrigtwohill has a range of public services and community facilities including three primary schools, two secondary
schools, a garda station and a church. The community centre, located in the heart of the settlement on the main street
is a substantial building available for a wide variety of activities including sports, drama and meetings. Immediately
south of the community centre is a relatively new community playground.
2.3.28 A survey of the town has identified a deficit in sports facilities for a town of this size. Notwithstanding this, there is a wide
variety of sports clubs operating in the town including badminton, basketball, athletics, tennis and activities offered
by the Community Games programme for young people. Carrigtwohill GAA is located south of the town’s main street
and the complex contains 3 pitches, a gymnasium and a handball alley. Carrigtwohill United Football Club recently relocated
to new facilities at Ballyadam to the east of the town where they have 2 playing pitches, 2 training pitches and
a clubhouse with dressing rooms. In 2010 the Community Council opened a new state of the art All-Weather facility
accommodating four 5-a-side pitches or one full size pitch.
2.3.29 The existing primary and post-primary schools in the town are mostly clustered in the area of the Main Street and east
of Station Road with an additional primary school located within the grounds of the GAA club adjoining the town centre.
A temporary planning permission was issued at Fota Business Park to allow for use of existing offices as a post primary
school (Carrigtwohill Community College) in the short term. Planning permission was granted in 2020 for a new schools
campus on land zoned CT-C-01 to serve the Carrigtwohill North UEA. The campus will comprise two primary schools (to
which two of the existing primary schools will relocate) and a post primary school. The site is central to the development
of Carrigtwohill and when developed will ensure adequate permeability between existing adjacent residential areas and
the new schools campus. Its development will alleviate some of the traffic congestion that occurred in the town centre
at peak drop-off and collection times.
2.3.30 The Community Council have invested significantly in the provision of facilities on their site, south of Main Street,
including a children’s playground and an all-weather pitch. It is important that these facilities be protected for use by
the wider community and an objective has been included in this regard.
2.3.31 The new school campus in Carrigtwohill North, which includes ball courts and play areas, will address a part of the
deficit in sporting facilities in the town in the longer term. However, it is important that proposals be advanced in the
established areas of the town to provide a balance in the location of facilities.
2.3.32 Consideration will be given to any need for expanded graveyard provision should such need arise over the lifetime of the
plan.
Green Infrastructure
2.3.33 The green infrastructure network in Carrigtwohill is comprised of areas of flood risk and areas of biodiversity value
and open space. Some of the areas of open space serve as sports pitches or recreational areas and others serve as
important ecological habitats. The image which follows gives an overview of some of the more obvious areas which
form the network of green spaces, habitats and ecosystems in Carrigtwohill, most of which are reflected in the specific
zoning objectives for Carrigtwohill. The image highlights the fragmentation of the town’s green infrastructure but it
also highlights opportunities to strengthen it for biodiversity as well as social and wellbeing benefits. Not all of the green
infrastructure in Carrigtwohill is mapped and there are additional areas such as hedgerows which also contribute to the
green infrastructure function of the area.
2.3.34 Existing sports facilities/pitches are zoned in this plan and provision is also made for open space to be provided in
Carrigtwohill North in line with provisions set out in the Framework masterplan for the Urban Expansion Area. Provision
will be made in CT-GR-01 for a small park with provision made for a linear park on the CT-GC-05 site. Within these
sites, provision should also be made to accommodate playground facilities, passive recreational areas, bio-diversity
areas, possible storm water attenuation swales and a number of playing facilities in accordance with the Recreation and
Amenity Policy of Cork County Council. Sports facilities will be shared with the neighbouring school.
2.3.35 Some areas which are zoned for development support habitats of ecological value. New development should be planned
to provide for the retention and protection of these habitats in so far as possible.
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