Confidence in Limerick regeneration plan falls
Only 6% of people believe the southside and northside regeneration plans will be mostly, or totally, completed.
The scheme envisages demolishing and completely rebuilding the estates of Moyross, Southill, Ballinacurra Weston and St Mary’s Park.
In a poll conducted by researchers at the University of Limerick for the Limerick Chronicle, 52.2% of those who took part believed very little of the regeneration plan would be completed.
More than 11% firmly believed none of it will be completed.
In all, 300 people from across the city took part in the poll.
Brendan Kenny, chief executive of the regeneration agencies, said if he had been asked to participate in the poll he would have responded that all of it will be completed.
Mr Kenny said: “All of it will be done; we wouldn’t be here otherwise. I wouldn’t be around if I did not think all of it would happen. It may take 15 years instead of 10 and, if the economy improves, it might happen much faster – but it will happen. The big issue is not so much how long will it take, it’s when will it start and, for residents, ‘start’ means when they see new houses being built.”
Mr Kenny said he was not surprised more than 52% of those who took part in the poll believed very little of the regeneration will be completed.
He said: “With the climate that is there at the moment, you can understand people thinking it is not going to happen.”
But he said they had been getting very positive vibes in recent weeks and a submission for additional money will be sent to the Government next week.
Mr Kenny said: “We are working on the submission night and day and we will have it completed by tomorrow. We have a board meeting on Friday when we expect to sign off on the submission and it will then go to the Government. We’d be hopeful there will be a quick response, which would give approval to at least some projects to get things moving, and that’s the kind of boost we’ve been looking for.”
