City to get €70m of funding for mid-west

OF the €100 million being sought by the mid-west from the Government’s Gateway Innovation fund, up to €70m has been earmarked for improving Limerick city centre.

The local authorities in the region, Limerick city, Limerick county, Clare and north Tipperary, have agreed that the biggest share of their allocation should go to complete huge plans for Limerick city centre.

A total of €300m is being made available to the nine designated gateway regions, and the mid-west’s costed submission has now been sent to the Department of the Environment for consideration.

The master plan for Limerick city includes major pedestrianisation of streets, riverside walkways stretching into suburbs in Co Limerick and Clare, and a big expansion in city centre retail outlets.

Tom Enright, director of planning for Limerick County Council, said the four authorities agreed that the city centre should be the focus of the mid-west proposals for funding under the gateway initiative.

Mr Enright said the councils were now embarking on a six month review of retail strategy in the mid-west.

Much of this review will centre on the balance of shopping developments in Limerick city centre and its suburbs.

The shopping needs of Ennis, Shannon and Nenagh would also get significant attention.

Mr Enright said: “The current retail strategy was drawn up in March of 2003 and now, almost five years on, we feel it is time to look at what has happened in that period and see what the shopping needs will be in years ahead.”

It is hoped that a new retail strategy policy for the mid-west will be ready by July 2008.

Mr Enright said: “We will look at how much would be provided, and look at the local authority areas and their retail needs.”

Due to developments in the city and its suburbs, Mr Enright said these would form the top two tiers of the new strategy.

“This will deal with the normal type of shopping demands, as well as retail warehousing involving large hardware and carpeting type retailing. We have seen a significant development of warehouse retailing, particularly in the city suburbs. We will be looking at what the demand is, and if there are demands for more different types of retailing and what the best locations would be.

“We will want to assess if there is over-supply in the market of any type of retailing, and get a proper balance of retailing and the type of retailing. So our strategy needs to be reviewed so we can see what is happening and where we are going.”

While the redrawing of the retail strategy would be a broad overview, Mr Enright said it could impact on rezoning issues.