Cork city’s boundary is to be expanded to include outlying suburban areas as part of local government reform published today.
Douglas, Grange, Frankfield and parts of the northside, which are currently in the Cork County Council jurisdiction, are all expected to be included in the expanded Cork city.
Cork city and county councils are to be given five years to come up with the new city boundary or else the Government will step in and impose one.
City councillors have long called for an extension to the boundary saying it made no sense for highly urbanised areas like Douglas and Frankfield to be part of the county.
The boundary currently runs through areas like Curraheen and The Glen.
The change in the boundary is part of the Local Government Reform proposals published by Minister Phil Hogan today which will introduce sweeping changes to councils across the country.
Town councils are believed to be set to be abolished under the plan — including all 12 in Cork — while the city and county councils in Limerick and Waterford are to be merged into a single authority.
North and South Tipperary Councils are also believed to be set to be merged.
However Minister Hogan said a merged Cork City and County Council would be too large. Instead it is proposed to extend the city’s boundary.
“There would appear to be a good case in principle for considering a boundary alteration in Cork with a view to creating a wider Cork metropolitan area. The initiative rests primarily with the local authorities,” the document states.