Challenges remain but lots of positive developments happening in Cork town

A compulsory purchase order was placed on the Central Hotel site in Mallow, and the owners objected, leaving the matter with An Coimisiún Pleanála. Engagement with Cork County Council is continuing to obtain clarity and a timeline for the process. The Central Hotel site had been idle for 17 years, with rotting hoarding, blocked footpaths, and inaccessible car parking spaces. New hoarding has been installed, footpath access has been restored, and parking spaces are accessible again. Ongoing concerns remain around dereliction, vacancy, traffic congestion, and strengthening the town centre and night-time economy. New housing developments are bringing families to Mallow, and the town’s train station is noted as an asset.

"A compulsory purchase order was placed on the Central Hotel site a number of months ago. The owners of the site subsequently objected to this, and the matter is now with An Coimisiún Pleanála. Following my engagement with Cork County Council, I will continue to work to get clarity and a timeline on the process."

"Before I entered politics just over two years ago, that site was idle for 17 years. For years, the town was left with rotting hoarding, blocked footpaths and inaccessible car parking spaces. Today, we have new hoarding in place, access restored to the footpaths and parking spaces, and for the first time in almost two decades, genuine progress on the site."

"I fully understand that there are still significant concerns around dereliction, vacancy, traffic congestion and the need to strengthen our town centre and night-time economy. People are frustrated, and rightly so. But these problems do not get solved overnight."

"At the same time, we must also recognise the very positive developments happening across Mallow. New housing developments are bringing new families into our town, people who want to work here, raise their children here and build their futures here,"

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