Barrack Street Regeneration

THE €600,000 upgrading of lower Barrack Street is a great boost for the area, but plans to make the lower stretch one way haven’t received unanimous backing, according to local independent councillor Mick Finn. Cllr Finn was commenting on plans to upgrade the streetscape in one of Cork’s most historic streets that got the green light from Cork City Council. “Once the project gets underway later this year, the lower stretch of the Street – from the junction with Evergreen St (near the Chinese) to Reeds’s Square will be made one-way downhill on a pilot basis and it’s important to stress that,” Cllr Finn said. “At a public meeting last year, local residents and traders called for it to be made one-way uphill to ensure that life is breathed into the street, the logic that people would walk downhill and drive uphill out of town. They will be disappointed to see the council engineers have stuck with the original plan, despite their submission and that of the local Gardai who also favoured a one-way system uphill.” At the recent meeting, Cllrs Finn, Sean Martin and Emmet O’Halloran asked that the original plan be piloted, to determine whether or not the one-way routing should be uphill. “At least that concession was secured so at least if it’s not working, it can be altered,” Cllr Finn added. “It was also felt the automatic bollards were unnecessary and would restrict both businesses and residents, so it was agreed to wire the conduits for these bollards but not put them in place until a future use is required.” Cllr Finn has again urged the owners or derelict properties to either spruce up their premises or hand them over for community usage. “Some of the buildings are appalling, especially the block by Fort Street: owners should at least paint them up to fit in with the new improvement scheme which will make a huge difference to the street. Hopefully, the campaign to open up Elizabeth Fort will also be successful, as the City Manager expressed at the meeting.”