1. Introduction

Limerick City is undergoing a transformation. The completion of Gardens International, the progress of the Opera Centre and the proposed Rugby Experience building will see larger numbers of people working in Limerick City Centre. With projected population growth for Limerick City of 50,000 people under the Project 2040 National Planning Framework, the work currently being carried out by Limerick City and County Council’s CityXChange programme will promote the City Centre as a viable place to live. O’Connell Street will be a principal connector between all of these developments and must reflect and underpin anticipated population growth and significantly increased footfall.

In anticipation of this growth, Limerick City and County Council is currently undertaking the O’Connell Street Revitalisation Project (Phase 1). The project will start at the top of Patrick Street, end at The Crescent, and Phase 1 will focus on that area of O’Connell Street that lies between Denmark Street and Cecil Street. The aim of the project is to breathe new life into O’Connell Street for pedestrians and residents, to redefine its role as a destination within Limerick City and the greater Mid-West region, to support more sustainable modes of transport, and to provide a stronger and more visually appealing urban connector within the city centre.

While O’Connell Street is a critical thoroughfare for Limerick City at present, this project seeks to redress this through placemaking along O’Connell Street and its immediate vicinity. The O'Connell Street Revitalisation Project will create a backdrop to more positive engagement with the city through much-reduced traffic volumes, greater cyclist and bus accessibility, wider and improved footpaths, reduction in urban clutter, increased landscaping and trees, and will generally contribute to a more pleasant environment for those who currently live and work in the city centre, and for the anticipated increase in working and residential populations of Limerick.

The project is being part-funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) via the Southern Regional Assembly.

The purpose of this report is to set out the proposed layout for Phase 1 of the O'Connell Street Revitalisation Project, and detail the process followed in developing this layout for a planning application.

1.1 Accompanying Material

This report should be read in conjunction with the accompanying plan layout drawings and photomontages (OCS-L-002 to OCS-L-011). Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and Appropriate Assessment (AA) Screening Reports also form part of this application.