Limerick City and County Council, the Land Development Agency (LDA), CIÉ and other stakeholders have announced plans to explore how a strategic land bank in excess of 50 hectares under state ownership can be re-imagined and re-developed to create a new 21st Century urban neighbourhood at Limerick’s city centre train and bus station, Colbert Station.
The re-development project will be master-planned in line with best international principles of sustainable transport-oriented development to provide for a new urban living district including housing, work, cultural and play areas, along with public services such as health and educational facilities.
The Board of the LDA has agreed to provide initial funding to commence the master-planning process for the lands, of which the CIE lands make up the majority.
The beginning of the master-planning exercise marks the first LDA commitment to housing development in Limerick. In conjunction with Limerick City and County Council, the Department of Education, the HSE and CIÉ, the initiative marks a major step towards the re-development of Limerick city centre in line with the objectives set out in Project Ireland 2040.
The master-planning exercise will evolve high-level framework proposals for the development of the area. These proposals will be tested and informed by wide-ranging consultation with the elected members of Limerick City and County Council, the people of Limerick, community representatives and stakeholder groups. The RIAI has agreed to support the master-planning exercise through their design review process.
The process will also incorporate analysis of infrastructure, funding and other implementation requirements and help inform the on-going process being conducted by Limerick City and County Council for the statutory development plan for Limerick. The process is expected to begin as soon as possible, commencing with an initial scoping exercise.
Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government, Eoghan Murphy TD, welcomed the announcement and reiterated the Government’s commitment to delivering additional housing under Project Ireland 2040. “Not only will the master-planning process outline a roadmap for future development at Limerick’s Colbert Station, it will also help provide a framework for development in other key urban areas by adopting international best practice in the delivery of social and affordable housing, as well as work and community spaces. This is a hugely important part of the work of the Land Development Agency.”
Chairman of the LDA, John Moran, said it is important to build for the future before it is upon us. “For the LDA, which is itself an agency with a national focus, we welcome the opportunity to complement our existing sites in Dublin, Cork and Galway by working in other areas where upward demographic pressure is expected. I am particularly pleased to see officials at Limerick City and County Council and the other stakeholders willing to do that with ambition and for scale.”
