Limerick Enterprise Development Partnership (LEDP) strongly supports the Limerick Development Plan 2022-2028 and, in common with many other stakeholder groups, welcomes the opportunity to provide input to the consultation process. LEDP, as a key actor in Limerick City, is particularly encouraged by the by the rhetoric surrounding the LDP consultation process, which is underpinned by a strategic vision intended to guide the sustainable future growth of Limerick.

“Improve access and infrastructure experience with other regeneration projects has shown that a key element in developing economic activity, and ending the isolation of deprived areas, is through putting in place a sound roads and transport infrastructure.” The Fitzgerald Report on Regeneration, 2007

Context

The completion of the proposed M20 inter-urban motorway network in the Munster region will create opportunities for growth for all industries in the ‘Atlantic Corridor’ and will ease congestion pressures on the eastern side of the country. Without a satisfactory motorway link Cork, Limerick and indeed the entire South-West cannot realise their full potential. Investment in this vital piece of infrastructure will enable the region to grow, develop and create job opportunities. It will deliver on a better-balanced Ireland. It will improve the quality of life for our future generations. There is an enormous national benefit in consolidating the “Atlantic Corridor” as a hugely attractive option for FDI. Improving accessibility into the south and mid-west region offers a wonderful opportunity for collaborative, cost effective possibilities between the cities along the Atlantic Corridor and between the eastern and western sides of the country. The proposed scheme also provides Government with an opportunity to take into account existing obstacles to social advancement and provide leadership with meaningful solutions as outlined in this submission.

In 2003, Carew Park Road was linked to the national roads network, but a new slip road built in 2007 linked Childers Road to the national network. Although it was universally agreed at the time that this would be a short-term arrangement, the completion of the Limerick Tunnel in July 2010 resulted in this becoming permanent. This has left Limerick City South regeneration communities effectively cut off from the national network. The Rosbrien Interchange (M7) in the southwest, in its current design, only allows for vehicular traffic coming from the west to access the Southill area. Inbound access from the south (M20) or east (M7) to Southill is a crucial element of the regeneration process. This has severely restricted the viability and vitality of the Southill area. Local movement is also restricted due to the cul-de-sac nature of existing developments. Three existing bus routes currently serve the area. The Southill and Carew Park areas have been rendered invisible since, as a result of the introduction of the new Rosbrien Interchange to facilitate the Limerick Tunnel.

Impact

Although originally residents in the area were opposed to an inbound access route because of potential increases in traffic volume, Carew Park and Southill have since became part of the Regeneration project which promotes the inclusion of disadvantaged estates into the road network. It is well documented that physical exclusion and social exclusion are interlinked according to the Fitzgerald Report[1], and despite multiple representations by many stakeholders in Limerick over the past 10 years with the NRA to reverse the decision, no action has been forthcoming. The Regeneration areas in Limerick City South are relatively well served in terms of distributor roads, with Hyde Road and Prospect Hill, and the Roxborough Road, providing direct connections into the city centre from Ballinacurra Weston and Southill respectively. However, these roads primarily serve through-traffic rather than provide good access for local residents and businesses. As a result of low level of connectivity from the distributor roads,

vehicular permeability area as a whole is poor.
there is a tangible lack of developer/private sector interest or investment.
lack of diversity of house type and tenure.
Regeneration areas suffer from negative perceptions.
various social and economic problems continue.

Separately, the lack of inbound access currently is having a detrimental effect on the economic viability and future potential of the Limerick Enterprise Development Park and Roxboro (Thomond) Shopping Centre. Both these retail parks play a significant role in the community ecosystem, providing vital local employment, the provision of goods and services to the community and businesses as well as accommodation via the Maldron Hotel. However vacant units are now more and more visible due to a lack of two-way traffic.

LEDP has made known its long-standing concerns over the years regarding the lack of inbound access, and consistently made representations at every opportunity to relay solutions. As such, I attach a preliminary report prepared in 2012 which LEDP contributed to and supported – ‘Limerick Southside Regeneration Area – M7 Junction’ outlining possible options to retrofit the junction which was one option among many under consideration at that time, sadly without any further action or progress to date. This report presents proposals for an alternative layout at Rosbrien Interchange (Option 2A) to provide improved connectivity to Limerick City for northbound traffic on the M20. Easy access to the centre of the Limerick City is clearly a major problem and again will be solved if the original inbound access is reinstated. There is a dire and obvious need to thoroughly re-examine the increased traffic loads which will arrive at the Rosbrien Junction for incoming traffic to Limerick City, particularly from the new M20 and the addition of the N69 traffic which will be re-routed onto the M20 from near Adare.

Opportunity

With a reinstatement of the inbound access from the south (M20),

it will contribute to the delivery of the 2040 National Planning Framework and the National Development Plan 2018-2027, targeting population growth of 50% by 2040 for Limerick.
it will contribute to the delivery of the strategic vision intended to guide the sustainable future growth of Limerick in this Limerick Development Plan 2022-2028.
Ballinacurra Weston and Southill will be reinvigorated as communities well located adjacent to Limerick city centre, with potentially high levels of accessibility.
The Southill area located immediately adjacent to the open countryside, offers possibilities to create a new urban edge, and visual and physical connections into this hinterland.
The strategic location and road infrastructure of Southill, represents a significant gateway location for the city.
The Southill Regeneration area possesses large areas of unused or under-used land where early development can promote regeneration.

Conclusion

At a city-wide scale, Southill is a highly accessible location, strategically situated to present a new southern gateway to Limerick City. There is an opportunity to guide development towards the Childers Road, and develop the area as a medium density mixed use quarter focussed on a new node, creating a new neighbourhood with a critical mass of people to support amenities and public transport. Southill also presents a major opportunity to form a new edge to the city, overlooking the surrounding countryside. At Ballinacurra Weston there is an opportunity to create a high-quality new neighbourhood, that is focused on new connections both east-west between Hyde Road and Prospect Hill, and north-south between Childers Road and Byrne Avenue. These new connections will ensure that the neighbourhood will be well integrated with its surroundings, and highly accessible to the city centre. In both Regeneration areas, opportunities exist to create new urban structures that make better use of existing topography, improve permeability and connectivity, and improve access to and from and between sites. A new mix of land uses, new housing layouts, mix and tenures can be provided, integrated with an attractive, well designed and maintained public realm. All these future opportunities can only be realised with the first step of reintroduction of the inbound access from the M20. The loss of the inbound access has undoubtedly undermined the potential future viability of uses in the Regeneration Area and contributed further to its severance.

The current situation pertaining to this crucial piece of infrastructure requires immediate inclusion in the Limerick Development Plan 2022-2028. I am thus urging you make this issue a top priority and implement an essential provision for Limerick, and for this marginalised area.

Yours sincerely,

Niall O’Callaghan

Chief Executive

[1] http://www.limerickregeneration.org/MoyrossReptApr07.pdf

Draft Limerick Development Plan 2022 - 2028 - Aighneachtaí

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