The locals in Grange Manor and the wider Ovens area have been raising concerns with me about the proposed changes on the 220 bus route. They have been raising them directly with me and with local councillors Gobnait Moynihan and Mick Looney, and outlining very reasonable concerns about the proposed changes. We have been engaging with BusConnects Cork about its proposed plan. This proposed plan would mean less frequent service to Grange Manor as well as the end of a night-time service. They currently have a direct route into the city centre but under the proposed plan they would have to change buses to be able to do that. It would also mean that if they were to go out late in the evening in Cork and were taking a bus home, they would end up walking along the motorway ramp in darkness around by Jim Bob’s and around to Grange Cross. They are very reasonably questioning how that would encourage people to move away from their cars. They currently have the first 24-hour bus service in the country; four buses per hour, with a reduced service later at night; and a direct link into the city centre. Many of them have grown up over the past 20 years in Grange Manor and the wider area accessing school and now college and work using that bus service. The development plan outlined considerable zoned grounds around Ovens and construction is under way on much of that, for example, behind Beverly and by Jim Bob’s, where Codrum Hall is being constructed and occupied. There is a huge growing population in the area. Since the public consultation began on this process, grounds have been bought by the city council for the new schools Le Chéile and Gaelscoil an Chaisleáin at Lisheens and there would be a direct bus link from this area.
I acknowledge there was a public consultation, but it was very city-based and city-focused. Was there consultation with officials from Cork County Council? This area is part of Cork county. How much were the county development plan and the zoned grounds taken into consideration? BusConnects Cork proposes these changes in 2025 and 2026, so there is time available to engage with locals and to refine and improve the plan.
This proposed plan would bring a new terminus at Dell EMC, a private company, and that makes it more difficult for people to access. They are very reasonably questioning the bus coming on to the grounds of a private company as the bus service is expected to be a public service. Will they be able to walk through that private car park and through Dell EMC to be able to access it? In fact, that is very much part of the solution. If the bus goes through Dell EMC to the existing terminus at the pedestrian access at the foot of the flyover ramp, that would solve much of the problem and people would be able to keep access to that bus service at the western end of Dell EMC by Grange Cross. The bus route could even be looped around by Jim Bob’s and Beverly, bringing everybody on board in that way. The key thing is that there would be engagement with locals.
