Boundaries must be extended

THE boundaries of Limerick will have be extended to allow the mid-west capital develop into a prosperous gateway city.

The Limerick and Shannon corridor was chosen as a gateway area under the National Spatial Strategy (NSS) aimed at developing trade in the region.

However, Limerick Chamber of Commerce president Tom McInerney said the city boundaries will have to be extended immediately to encourage economic growth.

“This place has run out of space, and if you are to look at the city rather than the county, it’s actually smaller than Sligo,” he said.

The combined Limerick and Shannon region has a population of 236,000 and this is expected to grow to about 260,000 by 2020.

Mr McInerney said an improvement of the local road network is the most pressing priority for Limerick and Shannon.

“All the arteries in and out of the city need to be improved and it’s essential that we get a fourth crossing over the river Shannon to reduce traffic congestion,” he said.

The Limerick City manager Brendan Keating also welcomed the NSS selection of the Limerick-Shannon corridor.

“This is an ideal opportunity to realise the potential that exists for Limerick. It provides a framework to ensure that investment in Limerick gets maximum return,” he said.

The need to increase the number of flights connecting Shannon to other Irish cities, Britain and other parts of Europe has been identified as another urgent need by business people.

There’s also been calls for a €25m rail-link connecting Limerick, Shannon and Ennis that would help bring the city and the airport closer.

The NSS is also set to improve road, rail and air links with Cork city, which is less than a 100km away.

The spatial strategy is advocating that Cork and Limerick should combine their strengths in an effort to make the region more attractive for industry.

The move towards more balanced regional development was welcomed by Shannon Development chief executive, Kevin Thompstone.

“As an agency actively involved in regional development for over 40 years, we warmly welcome the NSS and the renewed commitment by Government to balanced regional development,” he said.

Junior Health Minister and Limerick TD, Tim O’Malley said the NSS was necessary for Limerick given that its population will increase substantially over the next 20 years.

“Strong urban locations outside Dublin are essential and as a gateway, Limerick will drive investment in the city and the region as a whole,” the Progressive Democrat deputy said.

This biggest employers in the region like, Dell, Vistakon, Wyeth, Analog Devices, Howmedica, Shannon Aerospace and Irish Cement have a combined workforce of more than 10,000.

And there are more than 16,000 students in the three Limerick third level colleges that include, the University of Limerick, the Limerick Institute of Technology and Mary Immaculate College.