|
Located in the extreme south west of the country, the region is a diverse rural area of some 3,200 sq kilometres. Comprising three distinct natural areas of development, West Cork and the Lee and Owenabue Valleys, it is bounded on its eastern periphery by Cork harbour, and by over 450 kilometres of coastline to the south. The boundaries of the region to the west and north are contiguous with those of the neighbouring Local Action Groups, South Kerry Partnership Ltd, IRD Duhallow Ltd, Meitheal Forbatha na Gaeltachta Teo and Blackwater Resource Development Ltd.
The area represented in this submission
has been amended slightly from that approved under the LEADER II programme.
Six district electoral divisions on the north-eastern boundary (Matehy,
Blarney, Whitechurch, Greenfort, Blackpool and Knockantota) ow form part of the
Blackwater Resource Development Ltd application for LEADER funding.
A further district electoral division, Firmount has been included in the
IRD Duhallow application for LEADER funding.
These amendments have been made in order to ensure that the development
interests of these areas are served to best effect with regard to future LEADER
funding.
The rural hinterland of Cork city contained within the district electoral divisions of Ballincollig and Inishkenny which were included at the interim stage of the LEADER 11 Programme continues to form part of the West Cork LEADER Co-op submission for funding.
The six inhabited islands of West Cork (Bere, Whiddy, Long, Sherkin, Heir, Horse, Cape Clear) are included in the Comhdhail Oileain na hEireann submission for LEADER funding.
A GIS map outlining the aforementioned boundaries as well as a listing of all the constituent district electoral divisions is contained in Appendix 3 of this document.
Characterised by parallel ridges and river valleys, the topography of the region differs quite dramatically within comparatively short distances. The more fertile and productive lands can be found in the east. Further westward, uplands become broader and higher, in parts reaching an elevation in excess of 600 metres above sea level. Towards the Atlantic, the limestone valleys are shaped by the sea to form deep rias, like Bantry Bay, separated by the narrow mountainous Beara, Sheep’s Head and Mizen peninsulas. The rivers which drain the fertile farmlands flow eastwards before characteristically turning abruptly southwards to reach the sea; Submergence of their lower valleys has produced long estuaries as along the Lee, Bandon and Owenabue rivers.
The terrain of the West Cork region has strongly influenced settlement patterns. Small towns and villages are vital economic and cultural hubs, profoundly influencing, as well as being influenced by their rural hinterlands. Within the defined territory, the larger population centres (Carrigaline, Bandon, Macroom, Kinsale) tend to be found within a twenty mile commuting distance of Cork City. In recent years the economic and social development of these towns has been inextricably linked with that of Cork City and while some have revived dramatically in recent times, the maintenance of their morphology and social fabric requires careful consideration. Further west the principal urban structures and settlements generally tend to follow the coast. The economic well-being of larger towns such as Clonakilty, Skibbereen, Bantry and Castletownbere is very much dependent on the extent to which they utilise their coastal advantages in tourism, fishing, mariculture and agriculture. In general terms, economic disadvantage in West Cork closely correlates with topography and access. In this context, large swathes of land to the west and north of Dunmanway, as well as on the extremities of the region’s peninsulas represent significant challenges in achieving balanced regional development.
The development potential of the West Cork, Lee and Owenabue valleys depends significantly on its land use capability. The soil pattern of the region is diverse varying from a limited amount of arable, alluvial brown earth and brown podzolic types to much more frequent podzols, gleys, peats and skeletal soils. The land use capability of these soils also varies with the widest use range in the east offset by extremely limited land use in the mountainous areas to the west. Accordingly significant tracts of farmed land in the region are classed as most severely disadvantaged.
The region is home to a number of unique habitats, notably Irelands only marine nature reserve, Lough Ine, the only extensive alluvial woodland in Western Europe, the Gearagh and the sessile oak woodlands at Glengarriff. The region’s unique landscape and environment is also denoted by a number of proposed candidate Special Areas of Conservation. (This designation is the primary mechanism by which the EU Directive 92/42/EEC on the conservation of natural habitats and of wild flora and fauna will be implemented.) These are located at Barleycove to Ballyrisode Point, Caha Mountains, Clonakilty Bay, Courtmacsherry Estuary, Glanmore Bog, Kilkeran Lake and Castlefreke Dunes.
In addition to these locations, a significant
number of local sites (52% of the total for Cork Co.)
are designated under national legislation as proposed Natural Heritage Areas.
These predominate in western and coastal locations.
A full listing is contained in appendix 4.
Fitzpatrick & Associates reporting in the recent NUTS 11 Development strategy prepared for the combined Regional Authorities describe the region:
“West
Cork, (South Kerry and West Clare) may be regarded as the only remote and
disadvantaged area of the region. They
are peripheral and under-developed and exhibit many of the characteristics of
other peripheral areas along the West Coast of
Ireland. These include
marginal soils, limited topography, large number of smallholdings, weak urban
structure, relatively poor communication structures and continuing outmigration
to national and international urban centres."
With comparatively low levels of urbanisation and industrial activity (with the exception of the lower Cork Harbour area) environmental quality is unquestionably the region’s prime resource. In overall terms, assessments of water and air purity confirm that the environment is of good overall quality. The region’s rivers are, for the most part, classified as unpolluted (class A) and deemed suitable for game fishing, abstractions and are of high amenity value. Slightly polluted and eutrophic waters comprise 10% and 2% of river length respectively. (Source: EPA 1999)
Where depredations to air and water quality have arisen, this is generally the result of agricultural activity and in localised incidents, from manufacturing activity. This is more marked in eastern locations where agricultural and manufacturing activity is most concentrated. Further westwards different environmental problems exist such as coastal erosion and the overgrazing of blanket bogs and uplands.
Ambient air quality monitoring was carried out at one location within the defined territory, Carrigaline, in 1997. Measurements for sulphur dioxide and smoke were taken and were found to be well within the statutory limits as contained in S.I. 244 of 1987 (Cork Co. Co, 1998). As the location tested would not be typical of the region as a whole, given its comparatively urban nature and the concentration of heavy industry in the lower harbour area, it is assumed that air quality within the region is of sound quality.
Recent economic growth will however
accelerate development pressure on the local environment.
Quite apart from negative impacts arising from agricultural and
manufacturing activity, issues such as creeping urbanisation, inappropriate
development in coastal locations and in sensitive landscapes, traffic, litter
and detritus from leisure and tourism usage and a general failure to appreciate
the unique aspects of the local environment represent significant challenges in
maintaining local environmental excellence.
The influences of the prevailing southwesterly winds and the warming effects of the gulf stream result in a comparatively mild climate. In January mean temperatures in the region range from 6.0 to 6.5 celsius. In July the mean temperature is in the range 15.0 to 16.0 celsius. This demonstrates that the region enjoys an extensive frost-free period allowing agricultural activity to be conducted over a relatively large part of the year. Air temperatures fall below freezing on only about 10 nights per annum during a typical winter. Source: Sweeney (1997
Annual distribution of rainfall follows a west to east gradient within the region highlighting the correlation that exists between relief and precipitation. Extensive parts of the mountainous west receive over 1600mm annually compared to around 1000mm in the eastern part of the territory. This difference largely relates to differences in duration rather than intensity of rainfall. Source: Sweeney (1997)
In terms of the average annual mean duration of bright sunshine most locations enjoy between 3.75 and 4.00 hours of sunshine daily. Source: Keene (1986).
The prevailing winds travel from the southwest although relief features provide a funneling effect in many areas. The extent to which the topography can reduce local wind strength is evident from the fact that speeds abate from 6 metres/sec in coastal locations to 5 metres/sec in the adjacent interior. Source: Royal Irish Academy (1979)