The Port of Cork Company (PoCC) plans to move completely out of Cork city centre in the next eight years, as part of a €250m Masterplan for the Port that will move shipping activities to the lower harbour.

The PoCC has been holding public consultations on its ‘Port Masterplan 2050’ this week in a number of locations.

A major focus of the plan is for the PoCC to completely vacate the city centre by 2030, and vacate Tivoli by 2040, migrating all activities down to the lower harbour areas of Marino Point, Cobh, and Ringaskiddy.

“It’s not just about the Port going to the lower harbour because there are bigger ships and we have to have enough capacity for demand, it’s also about unlocking the city quays for development for urban living and sustainable active travel” said Tim Murphy, Head of Port Engineering with PoCC, speaking at the consultation day in Páirc Uí Chaoimh (yesterday).

He said that vacating Tivoli alone will unlock 150 acres for development in Cork city.

For more on the port's shift downriver, EchoLive reports.

On Cork's Quays a planning application is to be lodged to relocate the Goulding fertiliser facility from the city's south docklands to the former Irish Fertiliser Industries (IFI) site at Marino Point in Cork Harbour.

Goulding and Belvelly Marino Development Company (BMDC) have announced their intention to submit a joint planning application in May to Cork County Council for the proposed development.

If the development proceeds, it will free up large sections of land in the Cork docklands for future redevelopment.

This is the first joint planning application for the site and relates to the relocation of the fertiliser facility and also additional BMDC port operational use of the existing jetty  to facilitate general dry cargo vessels at Belvelly Port Facility.

The former IFI site was acquired by BMDC in 2017. BMDC is a public-private partnership between Lanber Holdings and the Port of Cork Company.

For more on this development the Irish Examiner reports here.