Cork prepares to welcome Clipper fleet with festivals in Kinsale and Cork Port

Cork is preparing its world-renowned “Céad Míle Fáilte” for the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race with festivals in Kinsale and Cork City. This free family festival will celebrate the Cork Clipper’s homecoming at Albert Quay from 07-09 July. Full information on the Clipper festival is available on the website below

 http://www.corkclipperfestival.com/

Consultants required for Proposed Design of Marina Park, Cork Docklands

Cork City Council has advertised for a multi-disciplinary consultancy team headed by Landscape Architects and including Arts and Culture, Natural Heritage/Biodiversity, Architects, including Conservation Architects, Civil, Structural, Mechanical and Electrical Engineers and Quantity Surveyors to prepare detailed designs to an international standard for Marina Park a 30 hectare city park which will consolidate and improve the existing amenity lands at the Marina and attendant lands including those accquired recently by Compulsory Purchase Order. This park will cater for the active and passive recreational needs of the new population in Docklands and the wider city–region.

Further information on the design procurement may be obtained on www.etenders.gov.ie with the closing date for Expressions of Interest being Friday 03rd September 2010 .

Winners of Cork Docklands Transition Year Schools Project Announced

Cork City Council challenged transition year students to imagine they are senior planning advisors who have been requested to share their experience following the successful completion of the Cork Docklands Project.  It is the year 2050 and the task is to advise a neighbouring city on what worked and what didn’t in the redevelopment process. Docklands Director of Services Pat Ledwidge commented that the purpose of the project is to enable transition year students to focus on a local urban regeneration project and to engage in imaginative speculation on the outcomes of the process. He said: ''We want the contestants to make assumptions, back them up with reasoned arguments and use their imaginations. In their eyes, Docklands may be a success or not; the important thing is that each team is creative in its approach.  We expect to learn from the project and hopefully some of the contestants will consider a career in the field of urban regeneration as a result of the competition.”

Five projects were assessed with each project team making a short presentation followed by questions from the panel.  A team consisting of Aisling Claffey, Lauran O' Reilly, Meritxell Garalda Manso and Rebecca McGovern from Coláiste Muire Realt na Mara in Crosshaven were awarded first prize. The awards were presented in the Council Chamber by the Deputy Lord Mayor, Cllr. Jim Corr on 21^st April 2010.  The winning team received a trophy and each member a golden ticket to the Cork Mid-summer Festival.

Port Quarter plans refused permission by An Bord Pleanala

An Bord Pleanala Grants permission to City Council for the development of the Spine Road Network and 2 Bridges

Cork City Council signs contract for design of Dockland’s public areas

• Contracts were signed on 16th February 2010 between the City Council and a consortium of consultants, headed by Mitchell + Associates Landscape Architects, to prepare designs for amenity areas along the North and South quays, the proposed District Centre Plaza on Centre Park Road, Kennedy Park and Monahan Road’s Linear Park. Specialist arts and culture advice is also being sought as part of the commission to ensure that the Dockland’s public spaces will be available for use as artistic performance space and for public art installations. Pat Ledwidge, Director of Services for Cork Docklands Directorate, said: “The Docklands area offers an exciting opportunity to develop high quality, accessible public spaces for the people of Cork and visitors to our city to enjoy. In pressing ahead with the acquisition of design services for the public realm areas of the Docklands project, Cork City Council is reaffirming its commitment to the project”. Dave Kirkwood, Managing Director of Mitchell + Associates said: “The Docklands is a groundbreaking development and offers a great opportunity for our Cork-based team to develop a public realm that reflects both the unique history and character of Cork, and also promotes Cork’s local, national and international standing. We are looking forward to undertaking this exciting project and to working with Cork City Council”.

• The South Docks Local Area Plan 2008 (amended 2009) is now available to download from this site.  It is also available to purchase in hard copy format from the Main Reception, City Hall (Price €80), and to view in any City Council public library or at Main Reception, City Hall.  The pages of the printed South Docks Local Area Plan which are altered by the 2009 Amendments are available free of charge to persons or organisations that have already purchased copies. If you require copies of these pages, please contact Mary Mannix at tel. 021 4924034 or e-mail corkdocks@corkcity.ie