The new Cork county manager has expressed concern that proposals by Cork City Council to seek a boundary extension into county council territory could end up distracting both local authorities from facilitating development in the region.
Martin O'Riordan, who has taken over from Maurice Moloney as county manager, said yesterday he was aware of the city council's proposal to widen its boundaries and acquire land around the city currently under Cork County Council control.
"I have looked at the document that they have given us on the boundary proposal," Mr O'Riordan said. "It's very centred on the city view of life and Cork has been very successful in selling Cork as a region such as in the Cork area strategic plan.
"The danger, I suppose, is that where there's a boundary issue, all the energy and time goes into that issue rather than bigger issues such as how does the city move ahead with projects like the docklands, how we can assist them in terms of moving the port?"
Under the plan proposed by Cork city manager Joe Gavin and backed by the city council in November, the city council is seeking to expand its land area by some 400 per cent which would result in a 50 per cent increase in the population in its jurisdiction.
It hopes to acquire parts of Douglas, Togher and Bishopstown currently under county council control on the southern side of the city and Kerry Pike, Killeens, Monard, Rathpeacon and Rathcooney to the north.
The city council boundary extension plan would also see areas to the east such as Glanmire, Riverstown, Glounthaune and Little Island all incorporated into the city and its land area would quadruple from 3,961 hectares to 18,170 hectares.
However, the proposal provoked a furious response last year from county councillors who said that the south Cork division which surrounds Cork city is a major source of county council income as it is home to many of the region's main industries.
Mr O'Riordan stressed the need to take a broader view of development in the region and not focus solely on moving the city boundary. He pointed to the areas where both councils had co- operated closely to assist development. They had worked together on housing and retail strategies and shared waste-management strategy and a fire service.
