Re: Re: cork docklands

but if the planning process was in any way proper, theres no reason why developers cant be made to build the District Centres and Neighbourhood centres and infrastructure before or at the same time as they do their residential, office development etc. The planning process though doesnt appear to be used in such a manner.

The alternative though is to rely on the system and local/central government to do it which means it will never happen. Look at CIE putting 2 different planning applications through for Horgans Quay despite being told from the outset that they would need a Masterplan for Kent station. They still persisted, got refused, appealed to Bord Pleanala and got refused, all the time knowing they were wasting time and unknown amounts of tax payers money, whereeas if they had done the plan, they could have been kicking off the docklands as we speak.

I live in carrigaline and a transport study for the town was completed recently. Between that and the traffic studies completed by Port of Cork, they acknowledged the traffic and transport network for Carrigaline was poor and over capacity. At the same time councillors have apparently voted to rezone more land for houses! when i challenged them on it, they said they were afraid the developer would not build the recreation / amenitys he promised. Talk about the tail wagging the dog. Had it not ocurred to them to form a contract so the builder has to develop the recreation / amenity first and then be allowed build his houses? All this of course while the councillors then acknowledged there was no money to implement the transport study. Unbelieveable!

Its a case of the lesser of 2 evils, have nothing built by the local bureaucracy or try and put some semblance of control on whats built by developers. Current system fits between the 2 i think.