Chins up, lads: Might a 'city region' alliance with Waterford cheer up some on Leeside?
As the proposed Cork local authority merger continues to cause ripples on Leeside, an Irish Times letter published on Monday, September 14th mooted the creation of a new ‘Cork-Waterford city region.
In a short, compelling contribution, Seán McDonagh of Raheny, Dublin 5 cited the EU’s ‘Cities of Tomorrow’ report which states: “The administrative boundaries of cities no longer reflect the physical, social, economic, cultural or environmental reality of urban development and new forms of flexible governance are needed.”
Mr McDonagh mentions a 2012 report commissioned by the Welsh Assembly, referring to international research, which notes: “City regions with a population of more than 500,000 are strong drivers of economic growth – those with over one million often produce the fastest growth.”
The letter adds: “The report to the Welsh government recommended two city regions – a Swansea city region with a population of 700,000, and a south east city region with a population of 1.7 million.
“This State has one city region, Dublin. Cork is the obvious candidate for consideration as a second city region. All of Cork – city and county – has a population of just over half a million, small by a global city measurement.”
The combined populations of Waterford (113,795) and Cork (519,032 as per the 2011 Census) stands at 632,827.
“The Welsh government report discussed the merits of multipolar city regions driven by more than one urban area. Such an approach could encompass a Cork-Waterford city region with suitable radically changed administrative arrangements.”
Such an innovation would represent a departure from the traditional Irish regional configuration.
But given the expanded Ireland South European Parliament constituency, one suspects from a European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) perspective, that a city region area could potentially benefit from additional monies.
At the launch of the €80 million Urban Development Grant scheme for local authorities held in Waterford in late July, Southern Regional Assembly Director Stephen Blair spoke about the fund’s social, environmental and economic benefits.
Regional Assembly Chair Damien Geoghegan (FG) said it “recognises the importance of the main urban centres as drivers of the regional economies”.
So what about the Cork-Waterford City Region: would we be better together? Seán McDonagh’s intriguing letter has certainly provided food for thought. Blaas with black pudding, even.