Push to build 38,000 homes across Cork with re-zoning around towns and villages

Cork’s main towns and villages to get ‘increased headroom’ – public consultation opens

09:59, 12 Jun 2026Updated 10:42, 12 Jun 2026

Pictured: Cllr. John Buckley, Cllr Ann Marie Ahern, Chief Executive of Cork County Council, Moira Murrell, Mayor of the County of Cork, Cllr. Mary Linehan Foley, Cllr. Patrick Mulcahy and Paul Barry of Cork County Council.(Image: Gerard McCarthy Photography)

In the midst of a decade-long housing crisis and with Cork property prices now well above the heights seen during the Celtic Tiger – Cork County Council is planning a radical change in development policy to free up land for development.

Under the modified Cork County Development Plan 2022-2028 just agreed at a special meeting of the Council, the ambitious aim is to build 38,370 new homes across Cork in the coming decade – and one of the big changes will be around land-use rezoning. This will be a dramatic change in policy followed over the past few decades, to limit the ‘spread’ of housing in surburban and rural areas and avoid major development of greenfield areas.

The plan is to encourage major new developments across the county and deliver thousands of affordable homes, such as the newly opened scheme at Ringaskiddy.

The Council says the plan is to provide ‘increased headroom in the county’s main towns and villages’ by allowing land around them to be re-zoned for housing. This would see towns andf villages expand outwards and could see dramatic growth for the likes of Midleton, Fermoy, Clonakilty, Macroom and Mallow – of the type which has seen Carrigaline become Cork’s biggest town, with over 20,000 residents and new esates mushrooming in the area.

Public Consultation has now opened on the Development Plan with the Council looking for views and feedback from people across Cork.

Cork County Council has said the changed plan: “Provides additional residential land‑use zoning and increased headroom in the county’s main towns and villages. This enhanced capacity will provide a roadmap for the delivery of a baseline of 38,370 new homes across the county over the next decade, supporting projected population growth and reinforcing Cork County Council’s commitment to creating thriving, resilient communities.”

The Proposed Variation represents a major strategic step in addressing the housing needs of Ireland’s largest local authority by geographic size, and seeks to substantially increase the county’s capacity to deliver new homes by expanding the supply of residentially zoned land and strengthening the foundations for sustainable, balanced growth across the county.”

The public consultation, for 4 weeks, will commence on June 12th 2026 and ending at 4pm on July 10th.

Members of the public, community organisations, businesses, and all interested parties are invited to review the plans and documents, supporting materials, and guidance on how to make a submission, will be available at this link.

Cork County Council says it encourages participation in this stage of the planning process. Public input plays a vital role in shaping the county’s future development and ensuring that housing delivery aligns with community needs and long‑term sustainability.

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