Town to get jobs boost from €70m plan
Planning permission has been applied for the building of 160 homes, a 78-bed hotel, a petrol station and car showrooms along with 30 small business units at Castlefarm in Hospital.
Dublin-based Irish and European Properties Ltd has applied for permission to Limerick County Council to carry out the development, which also includes a crèche and offices.
The project will generate 100 jobs in the construction phase and 200 permanent jobs between the hotel, showrooms and other businesses. Mary Moore, who runs a Spar supermarket with her husband David, said the development would be a huge boost to the local economy. She said it would help existing businesses.
“It is just fantastic news for the town. Everybody will gain as it will mean more business.
“It will also ensure that the local bank remains in the town as there were fears it might close. We have a new community school here and this new development will ensure that student numbers will be retained in the years ahead,” said Ms Moore.
She said local businesses will also gain.
“With more mouths to feed, supermarkets like ours will have to gain in business,” she said.
Ms Moore said that a development of the proposed size will give the town a higher priority with agencies such as the county council and Shannon Development.
The company held consultation sessions with locals in recent months and Hospital PD councillor Eddie Creighton said the development would be most welcome. “The reaction to this proposal locally has been very positive. People are welcoming it,” said Mr Creighton.
“We have the schools and the clubs and we are very convenient to Limerick city so it will be marvellous to see people coming to live in the area,” he said.
Mr Creighton said the hotel development would be particularly welcome, both in terms of jobs and in terms of the extra facilities it would provide for people in the area and in bringing in new visitors.
The development will provide 124 three-bedroom houses, and 36 four-bedroom houses. This will be a mixed two and three-storey development with a single storey crèche.
