Case Study:

Cork City - Park Masterplan

Background

This historic Kinsale Road Landfill Site (opened in 1962), now known as Tramore Valley Park, had reached its allowable capacity of over three million tonnes of non-hazardous municipal waste by 2009, when it closed to further landfilling. The future use of the site, only 3km south of the centre of Cork City, became an issue in terms of future development for a number of reasons. There were restrictions in terms of any future above-ground buildings due to the nature of the ground conditions and the existing underground infrastructure still required to comply with the EPA licence.

Solution

Cork City Council developed a masterplan for the reuse of the site. The aims of the masterplan were to develop the site into a public park, thus providing a range of activities to foster health and well-being and providing a more natural habitat (to encourage increased biodiversity) compared to other city centre parks. These aims were achieved by providing a circular walking/running/cycling path, together with a BMX facility, playing pitch and pavilion, and other nature walks to semi-wild sections of the park (Figure 1). Further plans include specific pollinator-friendly locations and flora, and physical connectivity to neighbouring facilities and population centres, encouraged by the recent Cork City Council boundary extension.

Benefits of solution

Environmental
The continuing recovery and converting to electricity of the existing landfill gasses (specifically methane) mitigates climate change, and further plans are being developed to replace this energy project with other renewable energy projects when the gas source is exhausted. Another mitigation project has been the development of a ‘park-andride’ facility on the site, which not only reduces traffic volumes further into the city but also reduces the greenhouse gas, NOX and particulate emissions associated with current vehicles.

Social
The solutions provide a new, large public park on the doorstep of Cork City. This is beneficial on many levels, including further opportunities for leisure, fitness, and health, as well as improving biodiversity. As future funding becomes available, it is hoped to add to the existing offerings at the Tramore Valley Park by the development of activity trails, connecting to local communities through more path and bridge infrastructure, as well as a native tree-planting programme.

Figure 1: Aerial view – Tramore Valley Park, Cork City.

Project Details:

Timeframe
The former Kinsale Road Landfill Site, now the Tramore Valley Park, has been remediated on a phased basis. The majority of the civil and environmental engineering works were complete by 2010 and entailed placement of an impermeable geomembrane over the waste, which was then covered with soil and a vegetated cover layer. Additional environmental control technologies such as leachate collection sumps and pumps, as well as gas collection wells and manifolds, were also constructed during this period. The final phase prior to the site opening as the Tramore Valley Park in May 2019 involved the construction of the green elements of the park such as tree planting, flower beds, and setting out formal grass areas as well as paths and trackways. Further development of the park will occur as future funding becomes available.

Local authority project contact
Dr Kevin Ryan
Facility Manager
Tramore Valley Park/Kinsale Road Landfill Site
Cork City
Email: kevin_ryan@corkcity.ie