Minutes of Council meetings- list.:

MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS OF  COMMITTEE OF COBH TOWN COUNCIL, HELD AT CARRIG HOUSE, COBH, ON THURSDAY 23rd August 2007.

Presiding - Cllr. P. Whitty

Present - Councillors S. Meade, P. Histon and N. Doyle. .

OFFICIALS PRESENT 
Ms. M. O’Halloran – Town Manager
Mr. P. Lynch – Town Clerk.

An apology for their inability to attend was received from Cllrs. M Keating K. McCarthy, S. O’Connor, J. Mulvihill and D. Crowley.

The meeting commenced with the recitation of the Lord’s Prayer in silence.

1. Port of Cork – Oyster Bank Proposals

Cllr. Whitty referred to the recent presentation to the members of the Council by representatives of the Port of Cork Co. in relation to their proposed development at Oyster Bank, Ringaskiddy. He stated that his understanding was that the members were horrified at the proposals, which included the erection of 16 storey high cranes at a facility which would operate on a 24 hour basis and which would result in a serious reduction in sailing facilities close to Cobh. Members of Cobh Town Council had met with members of Passage West Town Council recently to discuss the proposal. It had been agreed at that meeting that Cobh Town Council would meet formally to formulate the official view of the Council to the proposal. He stated that this had to be done before the end of the month to allow a formal submission in relation to the Environmental Impact Statement being prepared for the proposed development.

Cllr. Meade stated that she was anxious that any submission should reflect the view of all of the members of the Council. She asked that before any submission was sent to the Port of Cork that it would be sent to each member.

Cllr. Doyle stated that the proposal would impact severely on tourism in Cobh. The proposal would be a disaster in terms of both visual impact and noise pollution as it would entail a 24 hour container facility operating just across the river from Cobh. She referred to the severe impact that the proposal would have, particularly on the residents in Whitepoint and Rushbrooke. She also expressed concerns in relation to longer term plans to develop closer to Spike Island

The Manager stated that she was aware that proposals by Cork City Council to develop the Docklands in cork were putting pressure on the Port of Cork Company in respect of their facility at Tivoli.

On the proposal of Cllr. Whitty, seconded by Cllr. Meade, it was agreed that the Town Clerk would prepare a draft submission and circulate it to the members no later than the following Monday. It was also agreed that the Town Clerk would write to the Port of Cork Company supporting the call by Cobh Tourism for a public meeting to be held in Cobh to allow the people of the town to become aware of the proposals.

2. Declaration of Public Road – Whitepoint Moorings

The Town Clerk advised the members that this matter had been discussed at a previous meeting where members had agreed in principle to declare the roadway in front of Whitepoint Moorings a public road. He stated that the public consultation process had now been completed and that no submissions had been received; the declaration of the road as a public road was therefore recommended. On the proposal of Cllr. Doyle, seconded by Cllr. Whitty, it was ordered that under Section 11 of the Roads Act, 1993, the roadway immediately adjacent to the Southern boundary of Whitepoint Moorings, Cobh, from its junction with Whitepoint Road to the entrance to the Five Foot Way car park, being approximately 170 metres in length, would be declared a public road.

3. Traffic Calming Measures at Russell Heights and Eaton Heights

The town Clerk circulated a report prepared by the Town Engineer in relation to this matter. The report stated that the proposal to install traffic calming measures at Russell Heights and Eaton Heights had been put on public display. In addition the proposal had been forwarded to An Garda Síochána who had indicated that they had no objections. A copy of the proposal had also been sent to each resident in Russell Heights and Eaton Heights. Submissions had been received from Mr. Thomas Hoyne, 6, Russell Heights and from the residents of Lower Mount Eaton. Both of these submissions welcomed the proposal and asked from additional traffic calming measures to be installed in both estates. The report stated that the installation of additional measures could be considered in the context of the 2008 Non-National Roads Fund Grant and recommended acceptance of the proposal as put on public display. The report also stated that if agreed, it was proposed to commence work on the traffic calming measures within the next few weeks. On the proposal of Cllr. Meade, seconded by Cllr. Doyle, the proposal was adopted.

4. Draft Cobh (Traffic & Parking) Bye-Law, 2007.

The Town Clerk stated that the Draft Bye Law had been on public display for a period of 2 months and that no submissions had been received. He stated that Cllr. Crowley had contacted him to ask that his opposition to the proposed Bye Law be recorded in the minutes.

The Manager stated that her opposition to the proposal was well known. She felt that the proposal would impact on the Council’s finances which were already in a difficult situation and that it would also cause practical difficulties in terms of enforcement.

On the proposal of Cllr. Histon, seconded by Cllr. Doyle, the bye law was adopted. It was agreed that the Town Clerk would prepare a press statement clearly setting out the changes to the existing bye law. It was also agreed that the members supported rigorous enforcement of the bye law.

This concluded the business of the meeting.

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CATHAOIRLEACH

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TOWN CLERK

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