2.2 | Assets of the wider Cork Metropolitan Area
• Significant energy resources and renewable energy production (Whitegate, Ireland’s Energy Park) and potential energy interconnector to Europe (Eirgrid’s Celtic Interconnector project). • Digital assets including direct international fibre optic connection to the USA (Hibernia Express Link), E Centre networks. • Significant tourism, culture and heritage offer with unique towns, villages and attractions on and close to both the Wild Atlantic Way and Ireland’s Ancient East corridors. • Exceptional natural amenities and recreational activities offering high quality of life opportunities accessible to and integrated with a thriving international scaled city.
The wider metropolitan area has strategic national and regional assets which complement the role of the City. Collectively, these drive the role the Cork Metropolitan Area. In addition to the City, the strategic assets of the metropolitan area include: • A strong network of vibrant metropolitan towns connected on existing and planned strengthened public transport networks. Metropolitan towns in Cork are among the largest, fastest growing and youngest (age cohort wise) towns in the Region. • Monard Strategic Development Zone, a new planned metropolitan town and strategic residential location on the suburban rail line between Blarney and Cork City. • Strategic national asset of Cork Harbour (see section and specific objective below) including Tier 1 Port of Cork. • Considerable marine resources in Cork Harbour with internationally renowned leaders in marine research and technology, including the MaREI Research Centre; • Cork International Airport. • Significant clusters and global leaders in ICT and life sciences. • Strategic employment locations with strong foreign direct investment and indigenous enterprises. Locations include Carrigtwohill (IDA Carrigtwohill East/Ballyadam), Little Island and Ringaskiddy. • Significant agriculture, agri-tech excellence and food and beverage production.
Objectives of the Cork MASP support and seek to strengthen these assets and opportunities.
The Cork MASP supports physical and social infrastructure, regeneration and improving quality of life for existing metropolitan towns and communities, especially the retrofitting of such infrastructure for communities that experienced past high levels of growth without matching infrastructure and services. It is important that compact residential and employment growth is matched with mixed use services, physical, social and recreational infrastructure and that such services are identified and addressed in lower tier plans for the sustainable regeneration and growth of metropolitan towns. Cork MASP Objective 1 (e) supports investment in infrastructure and services for metropolitan towns and communities.
Southern Regional Assembly | RSES
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