Council set to review greenway ‘study area’ and land acquisitions after meeting with IFA officials.
FARMERS have come out fighting against plans to carve up their property for a greenway with the message: ‘Hands off our land.’
The Irish Farmers Association (IFA) have thrown their weight behind a campaign opposing the Cork to Kinsale Greenway – and Cork County Council is now reviewing the route in view of the level of opposition.
More than 100 farmers and landowners met in Carrigaline last week where speakers were scathing in their criticism of the local authority’s approach to the greenway.
IFA infrastructure project team chair Paul O’Brien said the association had challenged Cork County Council’s attempt to impose a greenway cutting through private farmland while failing to use any public or state-owned lands.
He said this approach by the council is contrary to the government’s 2018 strategy for the future development of national and regional greenways.
He added: ‘The strategy was clear in stating that the preferred model for future greenways is to use lands already in the undisputed ownership or control of the state, either through government agencies, government departments or local authorities.
‘Greenways should maximise the use of state-owned lands and minimise the use of private farmlands. On the Cork to Kinsale Greenway, the council have [admitted] that there are little or no state-owned lands in the emerging preferred route corridor.’
Cork County Council has rowed back on its plans and agreed to undertake a total review of the route following a meeting with IFA officials.
The project has received stiff opposition from those whose lands are under threat of Compulsory Purchase with a series of public meetings held and a petition launched.
IFA Munster Regional chair Conor O’Leary said attempting to impose a greenway on all private farmlands is ‘unacceptable to the IFA and farmers’ and added that it creates major disruption in terms of severance and could destroy the viability of some
farms.
‘We told them that their emerging preferred route was totally unsuitable for a greenway because it cuts through all private farmland. Some parts of the proposed route being considered is to follow the old, abandoned railway line but this is now part of private farmland and is being actively farmed so is totally unsuitable for a greenway,’ he said.
The Cork Kinsale Greenway Residents Association is urging people to make their submissions to Cork County Council before the August 29th deadline.
A public meeting will be held in the Marian Hall in Ballinhassig on Wednesday August 27th at 7pm ahead of the closing date for submissions.
Cork County Council said it would like to clarify that the project is currently ‘at a very early stage.’
It said no further steps would be taken on the project until all submissions are reviewed and no final decisions had been taken regarding land acquisition and CPO.
A spokesperson for the council said: ‘The IFA is recognised as being a key stakeholder with respect to the greenway process.
The council will review all submissions received, and such review will assist in refining the proposed study area and informing the subsequent stages of the project.’
