A second public consultation is now open on the route options for the Bandon sections of the West Cork Greenway.
This second consultation of three, comes about six months after the publication of the first report on the scheme, which aims to link Crossbarry with Clonakilty via Bandon town.
There is also the potential for route options that would link to Timoleague, Inchydoney, and Enniskeane.
The public consultation is open for six weeks, and closes on June 2nd 2025.
There will be another public consultation before the end of the year, according to the plans, and only after that will discussions begin with affected landowners.
Under this process, a planning application won’t be in place until 2026 or 2027.
Funding is not guaranteed for the project, and the actual building of the Greenway is dependent on funding, as well as planning approval, and not likely until after 2028.
However, the planning begins now and with that in mind, open days will be held during the month of May.
The first, at Riverview Shopping Centre in Bandon, will be held on Wednesday May 7th; the second at O’Donovan’s Hotel in Clonakilty on Wednesday May 14th, and the third at Ballinascarthy Community Hall on the following Wednesday, May 21st.
All information session are open from 2pm to 8pm.
A consultation held last year during May and June resulted in 245 public submissions.
The vast majority of those that made their views known were from the Clonakilty area (120 submissions), with another 34 from Bandon residents and the surrounds.
About 25 groups were among this number, including Tidy Towns groups, development associations, a national school, and a number of businesses.
The Council’s report on the outcome of this public consultation said that many submissions welcomed the project, with some themes recurring such as the call for more attention to the busy Clonakilty to Inchydoney road:
‘Several respondents suggested creating a route from the Whale’s Tail Roundabout to Inchydoney Strand, highlighting its potential as a tourist attraction and “local green-travel corridor”.
They proposed using Waldaschaff Park as an access point and adding a pedestrian bridge for better accessibility.
The Inchydoney Walkway Committee also suggested improving active travel between Inchydoney and Clonakilty.
One respondent explained that a “short cut” used by locals for “hundreds of years” to access Inchydoney from Clonakilty should be preserved during this project. Another respondent proposed that if the greenway cannot be extended to Inchydoney that a bus route should be provided.’
Several respondents suggested extending the Bandon Greenway to include the proposed Bandon Valley Trail, and yet others would like to see the study area include Enniskeane and Ballineen.
Others asked that the route go via historical sites and major population areas to maximise its use, or go along the way of the old West Cork railway lines.
Other submissions from the public asked that the project prioritise local communities rather than tourists.
Safety was considered the biggest deterrent from walking or cycling with 168 submissions making that point. Just 16 said the weather was a hindrance, and 12, the distance.
Concerns about biodiversity impacts were voiced, such as the presence of Whooper swans in the Bandon Valley.
The public consultation is now open online at the West Cork Greenway Bandon website.
