Number living in Cork to rise by 78,000

The Cork City Development Plan - the result of two years of research by the city planning department - predicts a population increase of 78,000 by 2020 in the Greater Cork area. This area encompasses the city and a surrounding area extending out to Ballincollig, Blarney, Glanmire, Midleton, Cobh and Carrigaline.

The bulk of the growth will be in Metropolitan Cork - that part of the city which extends out beyond the city boundary but which is contiguous to the city borough - where the plan predicts growth of 53,010.

The plan's population projections will, however, involve a reversal of the 3 per cent decline in population which has occurred in recent years inside the city boundary.

The Cork City Development Plan has been set within parameters laid down in the Cork Area Strategic Plan 2001-2020, and relies on predictions that employment - it was estimated in 2000 at 155,000 in the Greater Cork area - will grow by 46,370 to 201,370 by 2020.

Mr Gavin said the goals of the plan were to promote sustainable development of Cork as a gateway city, promote social inclusion and provide a high-quality natural and built environment. He was "committed to implementing these policies during the lifetime of the plan".