Cork City Council to unveil plans for 1,000 alfresco dining seats across the city
Our city is about to be re-imagined.
This morning, Cork City Council will unveil plans for a suite of changes to Cork’s streets, cycle lanes and public areas, with up to 1,000 extra seats to be provided for alfresco dining.
Hotels, restaurants, bars, wine bars, cafes and takeaway restaurants have already been granted free street furniture licences allowing them to expand out onto the 1.3 kilometres of temporarily pedestrianised streets.
& this is Friday night in Pembroke St, #Cork you’d almost forget it’s a road, feels more like the #publicrealm how wonderful for the city to see outdoor dining become the norm #citiesforpeople #beauty #wellbeing #liveable #healthy #Ireland pic.twitter.com/CTyKQEwEpM
— Frank O’Connor (@frank_oconnor) July 24, 2020
Outdoor seating has worked a treat on Princes Street, Cornmarket Street and Pembroke Street, where diners have been enjoying the new set up for a few weeks now.
In addition to significant pedestrianisation in the city centre, the programme includes:
- The €1.5 million repair of six kilometres of existing cycle lanes
- The installation of bollards on four kilometres of key cycling routes
- 4.1 kilometres of new cycle lanes at Centre Park and Monahan Roads, Terence MacSwiney Quay, Horgan’s Quay and Victoria Road and South Mall
- The construction of 43 bike racks which can accommodate approximately 500 bikes.
- A creative and engaging re-imagined arts and culture programme
- Enhanced greening of pedestrianised streets
- Two-hour free parking promotion at Paul Street and North Main Street multi-storey car parks, which offer 1000 parking spaces.
Oliver Plunkett Street next in line for late-night pedestrianisation
New planting is being added to the ‘people-friendly’ city centre streets and cultural institutions are also moving outdoors, with cultural performances and ‘play days’ planned in town and on the Marina.
It is expected that consultation will begin shortly to extend Oliver Plunkett Street’s pedestrianisation after 5pm to possibly late night in line with neighbouring streets.
