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Summary of Boundary Alteration Proposal prepared by Cork County Council

Context

Cork County Council is encouraging the people, communities and businesses across Cork to have their say on the boundary alteration proposal put forward under Section 29 of the Local Government Act 1991. 

The boundary proposal document is available for public inspection and comment until 17^th November 2017.

The Proposal provides for an expanded Cork City area which would see its geographic area expand from its current 38 square kilometres to 70 square kilometres, an almost doubling in size. This proposal, if implemented, would result in Cork City constituting almost two thirds of the size of Dublin City Council’s area, reflecting its status as the second city in the state.  Responsibility for areas such as Ballyvolane, Douglas, Grange, Rochestown and Togher would transfer from the County Council to the City Council. 

The proposal would also see Cork Citys population increasing immediately by 32%, with the potential for the City’s population to grow to 283,000 over time.

Origins of this Proposal

There has been a desire on the part of Cork City Council to extend its boundaries for many years. 

In January 2015, the then Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government, Mr. Alan Kelly TD, established a statutory Cork Local Government Review group to examine and report on local government arrangements in Cork. This group published its report[1] in September 2015. The statutory report – which subsequently became known as the “Smiddy report” – recommended the merger of the two local authorities in Cork.

In October 2016, the then Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government Mr. Simon Coveney TD, established an Expert Advisory Group and commissioned an advisory report on local government arrangements in Cork. This Group was chaired by Mr. Jim Mackinnon[2]. This group published its report in June 2017; the report has become known as the “Mackinnon report”. This advisory report recommends a very significant expansion of Cork City Council’s functional area.

The findings and recommendations of the two reports vary significantly. Notwithstanding this, the current Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government, Mr. Eoghan Murphy T.D., has moved to put structures in place to implement the Mackinnon report. An Implementation Oversight Group convened in August 2017 to oversee the development and implementation of an Implementation Plan.

The elected members of Cork County Council are unanimously opposed to the Mackinnon report and the recommendations contained therein. They are of the collective view that the outline boundary proposed by Mackinnon is bad for Cork – both City and County.

Cork County Council, by resolution on September 11^th 2017, decided to exercise its statutory authority to propose an alternative boundary line for public consultation. This alternative would result in Cork County Council ceding certain areas to Cork City Council. The proposal document (see www.corkcoco.ie ) sets out the Council’s case in a format which is in compliance with the relevant legislation, i.e. Sections 29 and 30 of the Local Government Act 1991 and Article 4 of SI 217/1996 (The Local Authority Boundary Alteration) Regulations 1996). These sections set out the procedures whereby a Local Authority may formally propose to alter its boundary.

Background and Principles

The proposed alteration of the Cork local government boundary will impact upon the entire Cork region – both City and County. Any such move must be considered in the context of overall national planning.

In addition to this, the following strategic considerations arise:

• A proposal must seek and obtain the views of the public in relation to any final proposal made to the Minister in due course.
• It must respect the identities of coherent communities.
• A proposal must address the future of both metropolitan Cork AND rural Cork.
• The future ability of both Councils to provide a proper level of service to the public must be assured.
• It must address equitable, effective and convenient local government including,  inter alia, the use of resources, public value and the provision of services;
• What is presented ultimately as Cork City must represent a recognizable city.

• It must address the likely changes in relation to town and municipal district governance plans which are envisaged to be the subject of a report to Government on Local Government matters shortly, specifically the role of major county towns.
• Any financial compensation package incorporated in to an agreement must endure in perpetuity and be maintained in value terms
• The nationally accepted principle of equalization, which is central to the distribution of local and National taxes to weaker areas, must be respected.
• There must be recognition of the investment which the County has already made in the expanded area. The realization of the future benefits which will accrue following development of the area into the future should be shared.
• A decision on a new boundary must be a considered one unfettered by external considerations such as the timing of the national Boundary Commission which will be reviewing local electoral areas for the 2019 local elections.
• It should be noted that the Minister’s ultimate decision on the establishment of a revised boundary must be grounded on certain principles as outlined in Section 31 of the Local Government Act 1991.

Cork County Council Proposal

The following sets out some key matters which underpin this proposal and which provides for a significant increase in the functional area of Cork City Council.

Geographical Area of City Council:

1. The natural extension of the administrative area of Cork City Council into the Cork County Council administrative area would include the established communities of the North and South Environs of the City.

    

2. The extension also provides for the inclusion of a suite of designated “Strategic Land Reserve” sites and urban expansion areas which have now been provided for in the planning strategy of the Council in its recently adopted Local Area Plans.

    

3. This approach will ensure Cork City Council retains an urban-focused growth strategy centred on brownfield and infill site regeneration while also providing for an additional 1,060 hectares of greenfield development opportunities which have been identified as those been most appropriate and capable to provide for further city growth.

    

4. It represents an 84.5% increase in the area of the existing Cork City Council. Significantly, the areas to be transferred will have the benefit of recently adopted Local Area Plans that provide the policy framework to deliver population and economic growth. The entirety of the extended area is developable and adjoins the current City.

    

5. The extended Cork City will measure 69.76 sq. Km., comparing favourably, as the second city in the state, to Dublin City Council’s Administrative Area which measures 115sqkm.

    

Population and future growth potential

1. The extended Cork City as indicated on the map will provide for an immediate transfer of an additional 39,258 persons bringing the immediate population to 164,915, a 31.2% increase. An additional 15,545 households will be added.

    

2. Significantly, Cork County Council adopted Local Area Plans on 24^th July 2017 that will provide the plan-led framework for the delivery of a further increase in population of 43,700 in the contiguous greenfield areas that it proposes to transfer to the City Council.

    

3. The Joint submission of City and County to the National Planning Framework proposes growth of an additional 54,000 population within the existing city boundary. However, the outcome of the National Planning Framework is expected to provide for between 50% - 60% increase in population growth in our principle Cities, thus providing for a targeted increase in population in the existing City Council area of up to 75,000.

    

4. Overall, the extended city will have the capacity to grow to achieve a population of between 262,615 and 283,615 thus constituting an identifiable urban city. Importantly, through the NPF, it will be supported by Government to achieve this growth level.

    

5. Arising from the proposed extension, the density of population per sq.km would increase from 3,323 per sq. Km. to 4,065 per sq. Km. While this would still be below the current Dublin City population density of 4,822 per sq. Km.

Economic Growth

1. Adopting the rule of thumb used by the National Transport Agency (50% jobs per population growth) the extended Cork City could be expected to deliver at least 50,000 additional employment opportunities within its new boundary.

1. This is evidenced by the City Council’s own plans which already provide for net jobs growth of approximately 29,000 workers in the North Docks, South Docks and Tivoli. In addition, through government supported investment in increased urbanisation and regeneration of other parts of the city and, the growth that will occur in the extended area now proposed, the expected growth would bring the working population in the city to nearly 130,000 persons from its current level of 78,000.

    

2. Given the established corridor based employment market is centred on designated Strategic Employment Areas in the County Metropolitan Area and Cork City, it would be anticipated the extended City would deliver more than the 50% jobs per population growth as investment in transport links would facilitate sustainable commuting from satellite towns like Ballincollig, Carrigaline, Monard, Blarney, Carrigtwohill, Midleton, Cobh as well as the Ring towns of Fermoy, Mallow, Bandon, Youghal and Kinsale.

    

Commercial Rates and Local Property Tax Income

1. The area that the Council is willing to cede to the City Council currently commands a Commercial rates income of approximately €13m per annum and a Local Property Tax income annually of €3m.

    

2. Based on the projected population growth in the newly extended city from 164,915 to the potential population of 283,615, the additional Local Property Tax income over time is projected at €10.6m per annum at current rates of tax.

    

3. The additional commercial rates income that is capable of being generated over time from the additional working population base in the city is conservatively projected at €49m per annum at current rate levels.

    

4. Overall, the growth capacity in the extended city has the potential to ultimately deliver nearly an additional €60m per annum at today’s tax rates to the City Council, thus ensuring that the City Council would have the capacity to support the growth of service delivery and development of the city.

    

5. It might be noted that the aforementioned additional annual income projections do not take account of income that would be derived from development contributions from the extensive level of newly constructed residential and office, retail, hotel and other development types in the city.

    

6. The additional commercial rates, LPT payments and development contributions generated in the extended Cork City would contribute substantially to the cost of investment to deliver the necessary infrastructure required to unlock the Docklands and other areas, drive growth, fund necessary public realm improvements and community facilities.

    

    

Summary Comment

The proposal deals solely with the substantive issue of the proposed extension of the Cork City Council boundary and provides a significant opportunity for our City to grow and develop in tandem with a sustainable county.

As outlined, Cork County Council is of the view that if the proposal is accepted by Cork City Council it would ensure that Cork would continue to have a governance structure that is solely focused on the significant opportunity that exists to grow Cork City as a city that can develop into a modern European city of scale. Its location within Metropolitan Cork would be characterised by the urban form of high quality living and working environments reflective of a sustainable city.

The Appendices attached to the main proposal document clearly set out the following information:

• Contextual Analysis (Sections 1-10)

   

• Map of proposed Boundary alteration (see Appendix 1 of the document)

   

• The reasons for the proposal (Appendix 2)

   

• The specifics of the population, area in hectares, rateable valuation, number of commercial premises, an estimate of the number of households, and the estimated annual income generated from rates, charges and other sources. (Appendix 3)

   

• The estimated income and expenditure implications in relation to each programme group for Cork County Council. (Appendix 4)

   

• The adjustments or other arrangements proposed between Cork County Council and Cork City Council in respect of financial, administrative and organisational matters in consequence of the alteration of the boundary. (Appendix 5)

   

• Any appropriate transitional measures where such are considered necessary arising from the proposed boundary alteration. (Appendix 6)

   

• Other information or material ( including in relation to any other financial or other matters consequential on the boundary alteration) as Cork County Council considers necessary. (Appendix 7)

   

Once the boundary line issue is resolved, our proposal would also seek to formalise the cooperative arrangements between the two authorities as we see Cork as indivisible in effect and this should be recognised in its policy making.

Public Consultation

The proposal document is available to view on the Council’s website www.corkcoco.ie with copies on display at County Hall, Cork County Branch Libraries, and Municipal District / Area Offices.

Submissions may be made online at:

www.corkcoco.ie/viewproposal-makeasubmission 

Note: The size limit on electronic files is 10MB

Alternatively, submissions may be made by post to:

Office of Director of Corporate Services,

Cork County Council, Floor 14,

County Hall, Cork.