Chapter 4 - Town Centre First

Draft Newcastle West Local Area Plan 2023 - 2029

Closed6 May, 2023, 8:00am - 19 Jun, 2023, 5:00pm

Town Centre Strategic Vison:

To facilitate the development of the town centre as a place to live, work, visit and enjoy by ensuring a vibrant mixed-use environment, facilitating high quality new development and through the enhancement and development of the town’s rich architectural heritage and development of the public realm.

4.1 Introduction

A Strategic Objective of the Plan is to promote and facilitate the development of the town centre of Newcastle West as a vibrant place to work, live, visit and do business. A successful town is underpinned by a strong local economy and the creation of sustainable employment. Newcastle West has a vibrant commercial core, a unique sense of place dominated by the Town Square and Desmond Castle and adjacent to the high-quality natural environment of the Demesne Parkland.

The potential exists for regeneration within the town core, particularly lands to the rear of Church Street, Bishop’s Street, Brewery Lane, Nash Backlands, The square and Castle Demesne Backlands. These sites have the potential to bring about transformational change in Newcastle West. The provisions of the new LAP must consider the cumulative impacts of regeneration and redevelopment of major sites in tandem and ensure that commensurate social, community and cultural facilities are provided to both facilitate and address projected population growth.

Figure 4.1: Town Centre

Policy TCFP1: Town Centre: It is a policy of the Council to:

(a) Support the implementation of the Town Centre First Programme in Newcastle West.

(b) Capitalise on the infrastructural investments in the town that support the Town Centre First programme within the lifetime of this Plan and seek further opportunities to promote Newcastle West as a viable, vibrant and attractive town centre to live, work and visit fulfilling its roles as the service, social, cultural, economic and recreational hub for the local community and hinterland sensitive to the town’s rich architectural heritage and improved public realm.

(c) Promote high quality place-making and public realm, in accordance with the Limerick Development Plan 2022 – 2028, including the Development Management Standards, any replacement thereof and any relevant Section 28 Guidance. All development shall demonstrate climate resilience measures to climate-proof critical infrastructure.

(d) Ensure the highest quality of public realm and urban design principles are applied in the town centre, and the opportunity areas as identified in this Plan.

(e) Ensure development proposals are designed in such a manner as to enhance the town centre and should give due consideration to:

- Site context,

- Surrounding Built heritage,

- Climate resilience,

- Connectivity/Permeability,

- Public realm improvements,

- Adaptability,

- Privacy,

- Amenity,

- Parking provision.

4.2 Town Centre First Approach and the ’10 minute’ Town Concept

This Draft Plan promotes the ‘Town Centre First’ approach with a focus on creating a thriving town centre with a strong service and social function. This is based on the principle of the ‘10 Minute’ town concept. Through the re-use of buildings, infill development, re-purposing of under-utilised lands within the town centre for mixed uses, including residential, bespoke retail or tourism uses or creative workspaces, the Draft Plan seeks to consolidate the town rather than encourage sprawl. In addition, the Draft Plan supports the investment in high quality pedestrian/cyclist's friendly public realm and attractive public spaces, where people can gather socially.

Policy TCFP2: Town Centre First and ‘10 Minute’ Town Concept - It is policy of the Council to:

(a) Implement the 10 Minute Town Concept in accordance with the Ten Minute Towns Accessibility and Framework Report, in Newcastle West ensuring that future development including residential, community and educational facilities, employment centres are within a 10-minute walk or cycle from the town centre and/or accessible by public transport services connecting to settlements, including Limerick City, North Kerry, West Limerick and North Cork.

(b) Prioritise the town centre as the most appropriate location for future development of the town. Planning applications for future development will be assessment as per the zoning objectives of this Plan and considered sequentially in relation to the town centre zoning.

4.3 Vacancy in the Town Centre and the Town Centre Health Check 2023

Unfortunately, a trend of increasing building vacancy has been evident in Newcastle West’s town centre, over a long period. Comparative figures are outlined below, which show some progress made between 2013 and 2023, however both residential and commercial vacancy remain very high in Newcastle West.

4.3.1 Commercial Vacancy

A preliminary building survey of the Town Centre in 2013 highlighted high vacancy rates for commercial/retail units and residences. In February 2023, Limerick City and County Council carried out a further detailed Town Centre Health Check in the town. This is a useful tool to establish a baseline, to monitor vacancy and dereliction in the town and establishes the use of each building.

The town centre health check established that while Newcastle West maintains a strong retailing function, commercial vacancy is still high, increasing from 22% in 2013 to 24% in 2023. The 2023 health check (Fig 4.4 below) established that Newcastle West has prominent vacancy clusters on Maiden Street where there is evidence of many buildings being derelict giving the street a dilapidated feel compared to the rest of the Town Centre.

4.3.2 Residential Vacancy

Like many of Limerick’s towns and villages, Newcastle West has its own challenges including the effect of vacant properties on the vitality and attractiveness of the town.

The town centre health check established that residential vacancy increased substantially in the town centre from 2013 to 2023. During this period residential vacancy in the town centre increased from 10% to 14%.

The sustainable growth of compact urban settlements is a top priority of national planning policy, with emphasis on the regeneration and repopulation of urban cores and built-up areas. This approach focuses on maximising the use of infill, vacant and underutilised sites and of buildings that are suitable and capable of re- use to provide housing, amenities, jobs and services. This approach focuses on maximising the use of infill, vacant and underutilised sites and of buildings that are suitable and capable of re- use to provide housing, amenities, jobs and services.

Policy TCFP3: Vacancy - It is policy of the Council to:

(a) Promote and facilitate the re-use of under-utilised or vacant lands/buildings in Newcastle West through the active land management mechanisms, under the Derelict Sites Act, 1990 (as amended), Residential Zoned Land Tax and also guided by key Government policies, such as Town Centre First, Our Rural Future, and Housing for All and any replacements thereof. The Council will engage with property owners to advise on remedial measures and give guidance on schemes and supports available to bring vacant and derelict buildings back into productive use.

(b) Support the provision of new services, economic opportunities, improved infrastructure, public realm, and the provisions of the Town Centre First programme to encourage the re-use of buildings and underused lands in Newcastle West’s town centre.

4.4 Newcastle West - Town Centre First Programme

The Government published Town Centre First Initiative in 2021 – a major new policy that aims to tackle vacancy, combat dereliction and breathe new life into town centres. It consists of a co-ordinated, whole-of-government policy framework proactively addressing the decline in the health of towns across Ireland and support measures to regenerate and revitalise them. The policy is supported by multi-billion-euro investment spread across major Government schemes such as the Rural Regeneration and Development Fund (RRDF), the Urban Regeneration and Development Fund (URDF), Croí Conaithe (Towns) Fund, European Regional Development Fund 2021- 2027, the Active Travel Fund, Climate Action and Retrofitting Initiatives, Built Heritage supports such Historic Structures Fund and the Town and Village Renewal Scheme.

Central to the Town Centre First programme are local communities and local businesses who will have the opportunity to reimagine and shape the future of their town.

Objective TCFO1 - Town Centre First Objectives: It is an objective of the Council to:

Support and implement the Town Centre First, A Policy Approach for Irish Towns to ensure that Newcastle West remains a resilient town with vibrant inclusive communities and a strong cultural and social fabric that delivers a good quality of life for future generations, through a strong commitment to ‘place-making’ so that the environment of Newcastle West is one in which people want to live, do business, visit and is ultimately successful.
To ensure that new development in the town centre and in particular the opportunity areas, comprises the highest of qualitative and design standards, complimenting the existing historical built fabric, or national heritage, sustaining Newcastle West as a town in which to live, work, invest in and do business.
(Residential) Support and facilitate people to live in town centre locations, and to adapt older buildings to the demands of modern living and recognise the specific challenges this may present.
(Tourism) Support and build community and business capacity to invest in and optimise outcomes from recreation, environment, food, heritage and cultural development to generate jobs for residents, revenues for businesses and income through increased visitor numbers.
(Enterprise Development) Support community and individual entrepreneurial capacity to strengthen innovation, production, distribution knowledge, infrastructure and networks to sustain and grow employment.
Support, where appropriate, social enterprise and flexible business spaces including short-term rentals.
(Opportunity Sites) Encourage and support the appropriate and sustainable development or redevelopment where appropriate of lands identified as development opportunity sites within the plan.

4.5 Retail Strategy

In retailing terms, Newcastle West is identified as a Tier 2, Key Service Town in the Retail Strategy for Limerick Shannon Metropolitan Area and County Limerick 2022 – 2028. A town centre health check undertaken as part of the Limerick Development Plan 2022-2028 established that Newcastle West maintains a strong retailing function even with a 12% (KPMG) commercial vacancy level. The health check determined that Newcastle West has prominent vacancy clusters on Maiden Street where there is evidence of many buildings becoming derelict giving the street a dilapidated feel compared to the rest of the Town Centre. Newcastle West serves a wide catchment area as a service centre, which acts as its primary attractor. In that regard, it serves a very important function, accommodating the needs of a large surrounding rural hinterland.

The core retail area is situated around The Square, Bridge Street, Bishop Street and Maiden Street. The town benefits from a wide variety of retail shops and services, which support the local population. The Town Centre is predominantly commercial/retail use with residential properties surrounding. The centre also benefits from an extensive service sector, which includes hair dressing, dry cleaners, travel agents and an extensive commercial sector, where small scale retailing has emerged. Newcastle West has a long tradition of boutiques and has become a shopping destination as a result of some of these shops. This is something that Limerick City and County Council are keen to foster and see expand.

There is also a good range of restaurants and bars, which give the town a prosperous appearance. Newcastle West has an extensive range of comparison shops. A large Tesco, Lidl, Aldi and Supervalu stores are located within the town settlement.

In Newcastle West, there are two areas outside the Town Centre that have acquired commercial/retail uses. These are located at Gortboy on Station Road by Oak Park and on Sheahan’s Road.

As outlined above, the Council, in supporting the ‘Town Centre First Approach’ will assess retail development applications in accordance with this policy and other applicable/relevant regional/national legislation.

New retail developments will only be permitted on lands, which are zoned as town centre. The provision of additional retail floor space outside of the town centre which would undermine the Town Centre’s primacy as a retail/commercial centre and out-of-centre locations for retail business and services will generally not be permitted in an effort to consolidate the existing retail centre and encourage the reuse of vacant units in the town centre.

The Proposed LAP anticipates that additional retail development in the Newcastle West will be achieved through the redevelopment of vacant commercial units in the first instance. All retail development will be subject to compliance with the Retail Strategy adopted as part of the Limerick Development Plan process in 2022. Table 4.1 below establishes the Newcastle West Catchment - Indicative Future Retail Floorspace Potential.

The Retail Strategy states that ‘The resulting figures indicate that after accounting for vacancy in the Newcastle West Catchment:

There is a small additional need for convenience floorspace in 2024 of 1,137m², increasing to 2,174m² by 2028.
There is no additional capacity for comparison non-bulky floorspace in 2024. This does change over the period, with a moderate increase of 640m² by 2028.
There is no additional capacity for comparison bulky floorspace across the period.’

Table 4.1: Newcastle West Catchment - Indicative Future Retail Floorspace Potential (Cumulative) – Adjusted for Vacancy and Pipeline.

Source: Table 6.22: Final Future Retail Floorspace Potential (Cumulative) – Adjusted for Vacancy and Pipeline. Limerick City and County Council – Retail Strategy for Limerick Shannon Metropolitan Area and County Limerick 2022-2028

Policy RLP1 - Retail – It is a policy of Council to:

To support the sustainable long-term retail growth of Newcastle West as a Tier 2 Level 2 Town, in accordance with the Limerick Development Plan and the Retail Strategy for the Limerick Shannon Metropolitan Area and County Limerick 2022 – 2028.
Support the improvement of retail facilities in Newcastle West Town Centre through the provision of modern shop units and a growth in floorspace.
Support opportunities for brownfield redevelopment to support mixed-use sustainable urban development.
Improve on and enhance the vitality and viability of the Town Centre and increase its competitiveness with other retail destinations.
In areas adjacent/contiguous to the core retail area support the diversity of non-retail uses at street level where such uses attract customers that complement the vitality, vibrancy and activity that brings linked trips to the Town Centre.

Objective RLO1 - Retail: It is an objective of the Council to:

Promote the vitality and viability of Newcastle West as a retail service centre and to improve the quantity and quality of retail provision in the town by:

Emphasising the core retail/commercial area as the primary retail location and ensuring proposals which would undermine the vitality and viability of Newcastle West town centre will not be permitted.
Encouraging the upgrading and expansion of existing retail outlets and the development of new outlets within the town centre.
Ensuring that proposals with retail development elements comply with the provisions of the Retail Strategy for the Limerick Shannon Metropolitan Area and County Limerick 2022 – 2028 in relation to site suitability and the sequential approach.
Prohibit the proliferation of uses in the town centre which would detract from the amenities, or the vitality and viability of the area such as fast-food outlets, amusement arcades, off-licences, bookmakers and other non-retail uses. Storage use is not permitted as the primary use of ground floor units.
Encourage the use of upper floors in retail premises for commercial or residential use.
Enhance the physical environment of the town centre as a location for shopping and business through measures aimed at improving conditions for pedestrians.
Encourage the refurbishment of existing retail units and the maintenance of original shopfronts, or the reinstatement of traditional shopfronts, where poor replacements have been installed, and discourage the use of external roller shutters, internally illuminated signs or inappropriate projecting signs.

Objective RLO2 – Retail Impact Assessment: It is an objective of the Council to:

Require a Retail Impact Assessment for significant retail development where due to its scale and/or location it may impact on the vitality and viability of centres. Significant retail development constitutes development proposals for both comparison and convenience type development of greater than 1,000m² of net floorspace in Newcastle West.

4.6 Town Centre First – The Way Forward

The NPF recognises that investment in our towns and villages through regeneration, public realm improvements and the appropriate adaptation and re-use of our built heritage are key factors in creating a vibrant and liveable town centre and supporting the socio-economic regeneration of our wider communities. In line with the principles of Town Centre First, A Policy Approach for Irish Towns the focus of the Plan will be to deliver a co-ordinated regeneration strategy for the town, to promote a vibrant town centre, enhance town centre services, facilitate public realm improvement including connectivity and permeability and promote the re-development of key strategic brownfield and infill sites, and increase residential capacity.

Newcastle West town centre needs to be the location offering a full range of services and amenities to attract people to it as a place to live, work and enjoy.

The Town Centre First Strategy is a crosscutting theme of this Local Area Plan. The strategy is set around four key areas to be planned, developed and delivered in partnership with stakeholders and the community over the lifetime of the Plan.

4.6.1. A Vibrant Town Centre

The town centre contains a mix of business, residential and retail, across a compact area, which makes the town functional and accessible. The centre benefits from an extensive service sector which includes boutiques, hairdressing, dry cleaners, travel agents and an extensive commercial sector. There is also a good range of restaurants and bars, which give the town a prosperous appearance.

The Council acknowledge that the role of the town centre has changed in recent times and has evolved with the emergence of on-line retailing and the decline in town centre residential use. The Regeneration Strategy for the Town Centre will seek to enhance and maintain the vibrancy and vitality of the town centre.

A vibrant town centre will be created by:

Focusing new retail development within the existing core town centre anchored around The Square, Bridge Street, Bishop Street and Maiden Street.
Addressing the need to provide social enterprise and flexible business spaces including short-term rentals and accessible high-speed fibre broadband.
Require compact residential growth through the creation of homes in the town centre close to shops and facilities. This is one of the most sustainable ways to bring life back into urban areas, particularly in the evenings and at weekends while supporting local shops and businesses.
Building on the Boutique-offer and relationship of town with its local catchment area.
Implementing a specific yearly cleaning and maintenance programme for public spaces within the core retail area to improve the pedestrian experience (remove gum, pressure wash paving etc.).
Continue to support the established festivals and events that take place within Newcastle West and consider opportunities for further events.
Consider the use of events and popup markets (at the square) to generate a buzz around the Town Centre.
Support the work and objectives of the Newcastle West Tidy Town’s team.

4.6.2. Tourism and Heritage

Tourism is a proven economic driver, and can play a significant role in the overall development in Newcastle West sustaining employment and providing opportunities for new business and services. The Limerick Tourism Development Strategy 2019 – 2023 establishes Newcastle West as a heritage hub in a cluster of towns themed for the purposes of tourism promotion as ‘Limerick’s Connected Heartlands – The Medieval Strongholds of Abbeyfeale, Newcastle West, Rathkeale and Adare’. Newcastle West has the additional advantage of the 44km Greenway extending to North Kerry with potential connection to Fenit/Tralee, and to Adare and Limerick City as supported in the Limerick Development Plan as well as potential improved connection to the Castle Demesne and town centre. The built heritage of Newcastle West and the quality of public realm can also play a significant role in the delivery of tourism. Refer to Chapter 6 below.

Tourism and Heritage Strategy will:

Focus on the expansion of the tourism sector within town centre through the development and enhancement of amenity areas, such as the Demesne, the River Arra walkway and Desmond Castle and build on the linkage to the Limerick Greenway through enhancement of the walking and cycling amenity routes to the town centre.
Support and build community and business capacity to invest in and optimise outcomes from recreation, environment, food, heritage and cultural development to generate jobs for residents, revenues for businesses and income through increased visitor numbers.
Focus on enhanced public realm. Public realm supports public interaction, contributes to place making and has the capacity to transform towns into high-quality places to live, visit and invest - encouraging day and evening economies.
Implement the Streetscape Enhancement Initiative. The initiative is a key part of Our Rural Future and will make rural towns and villages in County Limerick and across the country more vibrant and attractive places to live, work and visit.

4.6.3. Place making and Public Realm

High quality urban design and an attractive public realm are essential to grow Newcastle West’s strong sense of place. Newcastle West’s architectural and cultural history, streetscapes and the Square as an urban space all add to this. The accessibility of services and amenities within the 10 minute walk from the town centre, and the range of businesses/services available in the town provide for a vibrant town centre.

This Plan promotes the concept of a thriving town centre with a strong commercial and social function and seeks to consolidate the town rather than encourage sprawl.

The public realm of Newcastle West, characterised by its streets, public spaces, parks and natural features, has many positive attributes such as the Square and traditional buildings with numerous Protected Structures focused on the Square, Maiden Street and Bridge Street, the imposing Desmond Hall, the historic Demesne, and the picturesque River Arra and its walkway through the centre of the town. However, as described earlier in this report, Newcastle West currently experiences significant traffic congestion at peak times and severance due to the N21 passing through the town centre on route to County Kerry. This has a substantial impact on the quality of the public realm as well as local traffic movements, including pedestrian and cyclist movements.

There are various other factors that detract from the public realm, common to most other traditional towns, such as vacant buildings, neglected frontages, derelict and under-utilised sites, inappropriate parking, litter, overhead cables and other infrastructural/utilities equipment and structures, poor design of infill buildings (including inappropriate modern materials used on older buildings), poor quality road and footpath surfaces, and clutter from signage and street furniture. Retail/commercial vacancy has persisted as a particularly serious issue in the town, particularly with older premises such as those on Upper Maiden Street, but also recently including newly built units.

Public realm improvements, combined with traffic management measures, can be very effective in addressing these issues, by helping to increase footfall and public confidence in the town, as well as acting as a catalyst for renewed private investment. Both short and long-term programmes can have a significant overall impact. In the short term, efforts to clean, paint and maintain property and public spaces can make a significant improvement to the public realm and the general impressions of the town. Other measures such as appropriate planting, removal of obsolete signs and infrastructure, and co -coordinating types, styles and colours of street furniture, can further enhance the quality of the public realm.

Longer term, more substantial improvements can include traffic calming, rationalised on-street parking, comprehensive up-grading of public spaces, shopfront improvements, re-surfacing of footpaths, under-grounding of cables, improved pedestrian links and co-ordinated street furniture, lighting and signage, can significantly transform the public realm for the benefit of residents and visitors to the town, and hence the longer-term viability of shops and businesses.

Proposed public realm enhancements are set out in the next section (4.6.4) under ‘opportunity sites’.

4.6.4. Opportunity Sites

Strong centres are important for strong local communities. The Section 28 Guidelines – Local Area Plans – Guidelines for Planning Authorities state that local area plans can play a key role in activating the development potential of central sites though identification of opportunity sites and general briefs suggesting appropriate future use. The purpose of the opportunity sites identified in this Plan is to encourage the restoration, consolidation and improvement of these lands mostly located in the town core. Appropriate, sensitive redevelopment of these sites would consolidate the town ensuring amenities are within walking distance. Developers are strongly advised at an early stage to engage with the planning authority and avail of a pre-planning meeting to discuss their proposal. The Plan identifies nine opportunity sites the town. These are as follows: