Draft Limerick Development Plan 2022 - 2028

Newcastle West is a very rural town with no public sports facilities, and with a population of 7,000 public sports facilities are recommended for the area. Please see attached submission. 

Please see the attached. 

Please see the attached. 

Request building not included on the RPS register.

Please see attached documents 

The submission focuses on proposed zoning changes in Moyross, new residential developments and small micro enterprise units and light industrial/warehouse units. Please see attached document for further information. 

I have a 1.26 acre site for sale at Buffanoka, Cappamore, Co. Limerick which was inherited from my parents .  I am not able to build a house myself on this site (Personal Information Redacted) and am not able for the commute to work 25.6 miles away.  I have this site up for sale at present and a local person living within 10km of the site living in the area all his life is interested in buying it.  I have been told by the planning section in Limerick City and County Council  that this person will not get planning permission as the site is located on a substandard road.  The planning section stated it is only people on the road will be granted planning permission there.  I would have to  go for planning permission myself, build a house and live in it for 7 years before I could sell it.  I cannot afford to do this as I don't own a house at present.  I am renting a property near my workplace.  I think this is very unfair and unreasonable that a local person living in the area all his life can't buy this site.  He doesn't own a house and wants to live in the local area where he grew up.  It's no wonder property prices are rising.  If these planning rules are not changed there will always be a shortage of houses and people will never get to own their own house.

Please see the attached. 

Please see the attached. 

Please see the attached. 

Please see the attached. 

Lands zoned for residential development

I am concerned that the Plan does not contain any policies about trees despite all the benefits that they provide and are key organisims with a role to play in quality of life, air quality and climate change.  Trees are integral to our lives; they are keystone organisms that have a fundamental role in the terrestrial ecosystme upon which people depend.  In short people could not survive without trees, yet the Plan barely mentions them.  The Plan should contain tree policy statements for the following areas; (1) general tree management policies; (2) policies for the management of street & highway trees; (3) policies for trees in parks & open spaces; (4) woodland management policies; (5) policies for trees on private land; (6)trees & development policies; (6) policies for tree planting, design & establishment; and (7) a tree biosecurity policy to prevent the introduction of exotic pests & diseases such as Chalara ash decline and the my Phythophthora species.

A tree policy would have the following aims & objectives: (1) to protect & care for Limerick's trees; (2) to plant more trees in the right places; (3) to promote education & awareness of trees; and (4) to cooperate and engage with communities and relevant stake holders.

Limerick should appoint a suitably qualified person as an Arboricultural?Tree Officer to advise and address all issues concerning trees and to perhaps write a Tree Policy/Strategy document for Limerick

Please see attached my submission. 

Please see attached submission.

Please see attached submission. 

Please see attached submission.

Please see attached submission.

Please see attached submission.

Please see attached submission

Please find attached the following PDFs documents forming a submission with regard to the zoning status of the Shannon Minerals Site at Upper Clare Street and Pa Healy Road.

Document 1.    Written Statement

Document 2.    Flood Risk Assessment

Document 3.   SHD Feedback from Local Authority  

Please see my observations attached

Please see my submission which is  attached.

Please see the attached. 

Please see the attached. 

Please see the attached. 

Please see the attached. 

Please see the attached. 

please see attached documents

See attached

Please see the attached. 

see attached

Please see attached

Please see attached submission from the residents of Pineview Gardens regarding the Draft Development Plan 2022-2028 

Please see my submission which is attached

Please find attached a submission on behalf of the Little Company of Mary in relation to lands at Milford, Castletroy, Limerick.

Yours sincerely,

Dianne McDonogh

Town & Country Resources Limited, Planning & Development Consultants

On behalf of our client Roches Feeds, please find attached a submission on the Draft Limerick Development Plan 2022-2028

Please find my submission which is attached

As per submission

As per submission

Please see attached submission

Please see attached submission

Please see my submission which is attached

Please find attached my submission to the Draft Limerick Development Plan and also copy of my submission at Pre-Draft Stage.

Construction of and extension of a footpath from Daly’s Cross to Castleconnell Scout Campsite on the western side (closest to the village) of the R525 Road to minimise motor vehicle usage and concomitant carbon levels while facilitating active transport and connectivity in line with increasing sustainable mobility and transport by building sustainable communities and infrastructure which, altogether, help achieve “Key Ambition 1” of the Draft Limerick Development Plan 2022 - 2028.

Reasoning:

• School children attending Castleconnell N.S. who are living on the western side (closest to the village) of the R445 Road can have a safe walking route to Castleconnell N.S. without having to cross over the R525 Road twice - as currently there is no safe manner to cross the R525 Road, such as a pedestrian crossing which would be needed in two locations - to access Castleconnell N.S. via Skeehan’s Cross and the Railway Road. Incidentally, the footpath that exists currently on the eastern side of the R525 Road from Daly’s Cross to Skeehan’s Cross is not wide enough to support two-way pedestrian traffic which results in pedestrians having to step out onto the Regional R525 Road to pass each other;

• School children attending Castleconnell N.S. who are living on the western side of the R525 Road between Daly’s Cross and Oak Lane can now have a safe walking route to school without having to cross over the R525 Road twice - as currently there is no safe manner to cross the R525 Road, such as a pedestrian crossing which would be needed in two locations - in order to access access Castleconnell N.S. via Skeehan’s Cross and the Railway Road. Again, the footpath that exists currently on the eastern side of the R525 Road from Daly’s Cross to Skeehan’s Cross is not wide enough to support two-way pedestrian traffic which results in pedestrians having to step out onto the Regional R525 Road to pass each other;

• School children attending Castleconnell N.S. who are living on the western side of the R525 Road between Castleconnell Scout Campsite and Skeehan’s Cross can have a safe walking route to school without having to walk on the R525 Road in order to access Castleconnell N.S. thereby reducing car dependency;

• School children attending Castleconnell N.S. who are living at Cloon and Commons, The Commons, Derreen and Gooig can now have a safe walking route to school without having to walk on the R525 Road nor take the more circuitous and inhibitively intensive walking route to Castleconnell N.S through Castleconnell Village;

• Residents without access to, or who cannot drive, a motor vehicle or who would like to walk in line with active mobility who live along the R525 from Daly’s Cross to Oak Lane can now access the village, its amenities and facilities safely by foot without having to cross over the R525 Road twice - as currently there is no safe manner to cross the R525 Road, such as a pedestrian crossing which would be needed in two locations - in order to access the Castleconnell Village via Skeehan’s Cross and the Railway Road. Incidentally, the footpath that exists currently on the eastern side of the R525 Road from Daly’s Cross to Skeehan’s Cross is not wide enough to support two-way pedestrian traffic which results in pedestrians having to step out onto the Regional R525 Road to pass each other;

• Residents without access to, or who cannot drive, a motor vehicle or who would like to walk in line with active transport who live along the western side of the R525 Road from Daly’s Cross to Castleconnell Scout Campsite can now access the village and its services safely by foot via Nelson’s Cross and/or Skeehan’s Cross without having to walk unsafely on the R525 Regional Road;

• Parents and their young children without access to, or who cannot drive, a motor vehicle or who would like to walk in line with active transport who live along the western side of the R525 Road from Daly’s Cross to Castleconnell Scout Campsite can now access the three (3) local crèches safely by foot via Nelson’s Cross and/or Skeehan’s Cross without having to walk unsafely on the R525 Road;

• In line with Sustainable Communities and Social Infrastructure Objective 2, in terms of ‘Accessibility for All’, members of Castleconnell Scout Campsite - the majority of whom do not have access to motor vehicles because of their age profiles - can now access Castleconnell Scout Campsite via the only mode of transport readily available to them - their feet;

• Residents of Gooig, Derreen, The Commons and Cloon and Commons can now avail of multimodal transport in a time-efficient manner, i.e. walking southwards safely via the R525 Road arriving at Castleconnell Train Station via Skeehan’s Cross and the Railway Road and/or walking southwards safely via the R525 Road before reaching the Bus Stops to Nenagh and Limerick located at Daly’s Cross;

• Residents of Castleconnell along the western side of the R525 Road, the L1103 Road, Railway Road, The Commons, Cloon and Commons and Oak Lane can access Daly’s Cross Service Station safely without having to walk on the R525 Road nor cross the R525 Road unsafely, as currently there is no safe manner to cross the R525 Road such as a pedestrian crossing. Again, the footpath that exists on the eastern side of the R525 Road from Daly’s Cross to Skeehan’s Cross is not wide enough to support two-way pedestrian traffic which results in pedestrians having to step out onto the Regional R525 Road to pass each other;

• Residents of Castleconnell along the western side of the R525 Road, the L1103 Road, Railway Road, Oak Lane, Gooig, The Commons and Cloon and Commons will benefit from improved permeability and enhanced connectivity insofar as being able to access the same areas in a more time-efficient and safer manner in general and without having to take the circuitous and more time-consuming route through Castleconnell Village which currently is the only way to do so;

• Residents of Castleconnell can finally enjoy the Castleconnell Slí na Sláinte Walking Route without having to walk on the R525 Regional Road or cross over onto the other side of R525 Road, where a footpath exists, because there is no safe manner - such as a pedestrian crossing - to do so despite the fact that the footpath that exists currently on the eastern side of the R525 Road from Daly’s Cross to Skeehan’s Cross is not wide enough to support two-way pedestrian traffic which results in pedestrians having to step out onto the Regional R525 Road to pass each other by; and finally

• Members of Castleconnell N.S. can use the Castleconnell Scout Campsite facilities more frequently by foot and without having to arrange motor vehicle transport.

As per page 356 of the Draft Limerick Development Plan 2022 - 2028, the Castleconnell Local Area Plan will remain in place until 2023. Therefore, the above submission reemphasises ‘Objective T1’ of the Castleconnell Local Area Plan: 

“The encouragement of combined off-road footpath ... along ... the regional road R-525 ...”

In terms of the Draft Limerick Development Plan 2022 - 2028, and considering that Castleconnell is an Urban Area part of the Limerick Metropolitan District Area, the above submission realises Sustainable Mobility and Transport Policies: TR P1; TR P2; TR P3; TR P4 and TR P5, Sustainable Communities and Social Infrastructure Policies: SCSI P1; SCSI P2 and SCSI P3 along with Climate Action, Flood Risk and Transition to Low Carbon Economy Policies: CAF P1 and CAF P2 while effectuating Sustainable Mobility and Transport Objectives: TR O13; TR O14 and TR O38, Climate Action, Flood Risk and Transition to Low Carbon Economy Objectives: CAF O3 and Sustainable Communities and Social Infrastructure Objectives: SCSI O2; SCSI O4; SCSI O8; SCSI O016 and SCSI O027.

I would like to have the attached included in the Limerick Development Plan.  We in Limerick Branch of birdwatch have collaborated with your Environmental Officer in erecting and monitoring Swift Nest Boxes in 5 locations in Limerick City.  And hence we request that the Council take a proactive Conservation role in ensuring that all buildings both new and old are assessed for nest sites prior to carrying out works as outlined in the attached document  

Gas Networks Ireland (GNI) welcomes the opportunity to respond to the ‘Draft Limerick Development Plan 2022-2028’ consultation. GNI would like to draw the Council’s attention to two initiatives i.e. renewable gas production via anaerobic digestion (AD) and compressed natural gas (CNG) in transport. Both of these initiatives could be of benefit to Limerick from an economic and environmental perspective. GNI owns, operates, builds and maintains the gas network in Ireland and ensures the safe and reliable delivery of gas to its customers. The company is responsible for transporting natural gas through over 14,500km of pipeline networks. The gas network supplies energy to over 700,000 customers, including businesses, domestic users and power stations. GNI believes that gas and the gas network are integral to Ireland’s energy system and future.

GNI in general welcomes and supports the content of the Draft Limerick Development Plan 2022-2028 insofar
as it relates to the former Gasworks site. However, there are a number of issues in respect of which GNI
seeks revised objectives for building height at the site and more clarity on future planning policy and
development management requirements for the site. These relate to:
• Specific objective for minimum building heights along Dock Road and lower O’Curry Street
• Clarification and revisions to masterplan requirements for development within The Docklands

See attached letter. 

Please see attached

Please see attached

The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) approached Scoil Íde in February of 2020 to outline their wishes for the establishment of a Special class for children with Autism on the school grounds. The matter was brought to the Board of Management of the school to discuss but the COVID-19 enforced closure of Scoil Íde in March of 2020 meant that this matter was not progressed for the academic year.

The NCSE sought a meeting with the Principal again in February of 2021 at which they outlined their wishes that Scoil Íde would open a Two by Special Class facility for children with Autism. The Chairperson of the Board, Principal and Deputy Principal were present at this virtual meeting. The NCSE clarified that the proposal to establish a 2 by Special Class Facility (SCF) is based on “current and established” need in the community and “ projected need” in the community based on national data. The Spokeswoman for the NCSE stated that they “ could accept an answer of not now” but would not be willing to take a “no” for an answer

The Chairperson, Principal and Deputy Principal all agree that there is an identified need in our community for such a facility. This facility would be able to cater for 12 children. The matter has been brought before the Board of Management of the school and the staff of Scoil Íde. Both are broadly in favour of the proposal but do have questions in relation to the delivery of the project, enrollment criteria, support structures post delivery and staffing implications.

Both the proposal to develop a SCF and the experience of managing Scoil Íde through a pandemic led to a broader discussion at Board of Management level about how the school is catering for the children, families and community that it serves. The Board of Management identified a number of key areas in which the school needs to develop in order to provide for the children currently enrolled in our school. These developments would complement the SCF and they would ensure that Scoil Íde is able to provide a holistic educational experience for the children enrolled in the school. In essence, they would become a catalyst for the renewal of a healthy, sustainable, inclusive and attractive community.

Feasibility Study

There has been no development of the school since the opening of the senior building in 1995. Significant work has taken place in recent years to bring the three core buildings of the school up to date with current regulations. (windows and doors have been replaced, emergency lighting and fire alarm systems have been updated, ceilings and attic insulation replaced amongst other works)

There are currently 750 children enrolled in Scoil Íde. Projections suggest this number will remain stable over the coming years. The Board of Management has identified a number of key areas in which Scoil Íde is not providing for the identified needs of the current school population. The following facilities will be required to ensure that Scoil Íde is in a position to deliver a high quality and broad educational offering.

• A sports hall- the school’s only indoor facility is a GP hall measuring 20m by 10m. This space is used by 28 classes every week

• A new yard area to cater for children from the senior school.- COVID-19 restrictions have brought into sharp focus how dangerously overcrowded our yards are. We need an extra yard for the senior building to provide for the 200+ children who are based in this building

• A full size astro pitch.- We currently use the facilities of Corbally United and St Munchin’s at various stages throughout the year

• A 2 classroom special class facility with sensory garden- as proposed by the NCSE based on identified need in the community

The Board of Management employed Drake Hourigan Architects to develop a feasibility study based on the requirements outlined above.

Their initial plans positioned the SCF on the existing footprint of Scoil Íde. Scoil Íde would need to acquire land to develop the astro pitch,  the new senior yard and the  sports hall. The feasibility study identified land in the Bishop’s Field as the most suitable.

This proposed development would meet the objectives laid out in Chapter 9- Sustainable Communities and Social Infrastructure of the DLDP 2022-2028.

Objective SCSI O2 - Accessibility for All - It is an objective of the Council to:

a)         Seek the provision of appropriate, inclusive and accessible, safe amenity, recreational open space and community facilities that are available for all sections of the community, both urban and rural at a convenient distance from their homes and places of work.

b)         Ensure that community facilities, recreation, play and leisure facilities are fully accessible to all users and are compliant with current legislative requirements.

Objective SCSI O3 - Community Hubs - It is an objective of the Council to promote community hubs i.e. community facilities of a general nature that can benefit from shared services and be adopted for a wide variety of purposes, including local enterprise, health and education services.

Objective SCSI 04 - 10 - Minute Neighbourhood - It is an objective of the Council to implement a strategy based on the sustainable compact settlements concept ‘10-minute city and town’, whereby, a range of community facilities and services are accessible in short walking and cycle timeframes from homes, or are accessible by high quality public transport services by connecting people to larger scaled settlements delivering these services.

Objective SCSI O5 - Multi-Use of Facilities - It is an objective of the Council to develop, in partnership with other agencies, opportunities for multi and co-use active and passive recreational amenities including sports and recreational facilities, playgrounds and outdoor gym equipment within existing areas of open space. The Council will expect proposals to facilitate multi-purpose uses through their design and layout and to be accessible by multiple users.

Objective SCSI O8 – Place-making for the Community - It is an objective of the Council to:

a)         Develop and protect an open space network and hierarchy of quality public and community spaces, to extend close to where people live and which can accommodate a variety of recreational amenities and facilities for the community at large.

b)         Incorporate specific facilities and amenities that would promote exercise and movement as well as rest and relaxation in a natural way and in a variety of settings.

c)         Protect areas which are considered to be quiet or which offer a sense of tranquillity, through a process of identification and validation followed by formal designation of ‘Quiet Areas’. 

Objective SCSI O9 - Educational Facilities - It is an objective of the Council to:

a)         Reserve lands to facilitate the delivery of new educational facilities, including extensions of existing schools in cooperation with the Department of Education.

Objective SCSI O11 - Multi-Use of School Facilities - It is an objective of the Council to encourage multi-use of school facilities, for other community programmes and initiatives other than mainstream education, in order to maximise resources and support sustainable communities.

Objective SCSI O19 - Protection of Sports Grounds/Facilities - It is an objective of the Council to: 

a)         Ensure that adequate playing fields for formal active recreation are provided                    for in new development areas.

b)         Protect, retain and enhance existing sports facilities and grounds.

Objective SCSI O20 - Improve Open Space Provision - It is an objective of the Council to:

a)         Co-operate with sports clubs, schools, cultural groups and community organisations to provide quality sports and recreational facilities to the community. The Council encourages a multi-use and co-use of facilities of a complementary nature to support more diverse range of sport and recreational opportunities. Proposed development shall demonstrate quality pedestrian and cyclist linkage.

Objective SCSI O21 - New City Amenity Areas - It is an objective of the Council to identify suitable sites for the provision of new parks/playgrounds in the vicinity of Caherdavin, Corbally and the Groody Valley.

The Bishop’s Field

The Diocese of Limerick and Scoil Íde have a long standing but informal arrangement whereby the school has  access to and use of this land. These have been invaluable to Scoil Íde. The Bishop’s Field is used extensively by all standards in the school from our Junior Infants all the way up to our 6th classes for sporting, educational and recreational purposes. The Bishop’s Field is regarded as the “ lungs of Scoil Íde ''It is used for sporting activities during the day and after school. A range of lessons for all classes based on the biodiversity present in the field have been developed and it allows for large school activities to take place that would otherwise have to move off site such as the 6th Class Duathlon. In essence, the everyday running of Scoil Íde would be severely hampered were the Bishop’s Field not available to the school.

I have included as attachements the following

• Updated outline of development
• Curent school site map
• OS map of Bishops Field
• Picture of wetland
• Oak tree picture 1 & 2

Points to be considered.

• The Bishop's Field is currently zoned as " Open Space and Recreation". We are appealing for the rtention of this status
• The Board of Management of Scoil íde are very grateful to the Diocese for allowing Scoil íde to use the Bishop’s Field for educational, recreational and sporting purposes. The Board also appreciates that any transfer of land is a complex matter. It is determined to proceed with any discussions in an honest and professional manner. Initial plans outline the need for 1.7 - 2.0 hectares of land in order to proceed with the proposed developments. This land would be predominantly on the footprint of the “sports field” area of the Bishop’s Field with the new senior building yard behind the senior building.

• The Bishop’s Field has a commercial value that Scoil Íde would not be in a position to match. The Board of Management is aware that the Diocese would have obligations under the Charities Act of 2009 in relation to the change of ownership of their land.

• The Board of Management understands that the Parish would be involved in the transfer of ownership of  Diocesan land at the Bishop’s Field and that the Parish Council would have to grant approval for any move to acquire land at the Bishop’s Field. The Board has spoken to the Parish priest in relation to this matter.

• Drake Hourigan Architects have identified a Cillín( killeen- children’s graveyard) on the sitemap of the Bishop’s Field. This Cillín is sacred ground and dates back to Famine times. The Board is fully aware that any proposed development would have to take account of this and of the need to deal with this in a sensitive and appropriate manner.
• Scoil Íde has been designated as a “Safer Routes to School” school as has St Munchin’s in Corbally. This programme is operasted bu

• There is a mature Oak tree in the centre of the Bishop's Field. All developments would take account of this.

• The lower part of the Bishop's Field outside the Senior Building of Scoil Íde is an area of considerable biodiversity. The school has completed a number of projects on the wetlands in this area.
• Scoil Íde has been designated as a "Safer Routes to School" school. 

The Safe Routes to School Programme is designed to encourage as many pupils and students as possible in primary and post-primary schools to walk and cycle. It has three aims: 1To accelerate the delivery of walking/scooting and cycling infrastructure on key access routes to schools. 2:The Safe Routes to School Programme is designed to encourage as many pupils and students as possible in primary and post-primary schools to walk and cycle. It has three aims: 3To accelerate the delivery of walking/scooting and cycling infrastructure on key access routes to schools. To provide “front of school” treatments which will enhance access to your school grounds. To expand the amount of bike parking available at schools.The Safe Routes to School (SRTS) Programme launched in March 2021 and was open to all schools in Ireland to apply for active travel funding and delivery. The programme is an initiative of the Department of Transport and supported by the Department of Education. It is operated by the Green-Schools Programme in partnership with the National Transport Authority (NTA) and the local authorities.

• Funding for the proposed developments would come from a number of sources. 

-The Department of Education would provide the funding for the construction and fit out of the SCF and Sensory Garden. 

-Funding for the astro pitch and sports hall would come from a variety of sources such as Sport Capital Grants, Green Schools under the remit of An Taisce. An application would also be made to the JP McManus Benevolent Fund

-The Board of Management would apply to the Summer Works Scheme for funding for the new senior building yard

• The proposed facilities would be open to the public for use and are in accordance with the Draft Limerick Development Plan which seeks to “ foster healthy, sustainable, inclusive and attractive communities in a manner that enhances people’s quality of life and connection to place” ( Page 218)
• Scoil íde would support the devlopment of a park for the broader community which The Board of Masnagement believes would compliment and enhance the proposed develpments listed above.

Scoil Íde has an enrolment of 750 pupils. Over two thirds of these access the school from the Corbally Road side. Traffic in the mornings is very congested. The layout of the road and the school means that the morning drop off and eveniong collection is at times precarious and dangerous. There is no doubt that the area would benefit significantly from the development of a cycle lane from the school on the Corbally Road side towards Shannon Banks and Westbury in one direction and from Scoil Íde to Grove Island in the other direction. The majority of pupils in Scoil Íde live within a 3km radius of the school. The main reason children do not cycle to school is because of safety concerns of parents which in turn adds to the traffic congestion.  Proper walking and cycling infrastructure would have a hugely beneficial knock on effect for the children's health and well being and reduce a large amount of unneccesary traffic.

This proposal also meets the obejectives of Chapter 9 Sustainable Communities and Social Infrastructure of the DLDP 2022-2028

Objective SCSI O27 - New amenity walkways - It is an objective of the Council to continue to promote and facilitate the development of walkways subject to an appropriate level of environmental and ecological assessment. Any proposed development adjacent to such walkways must incorporate connecting pathways into the designated walkway in their design. Developments shall be designed to ensure that properties overlook proposed walkways.

Objective SCSI O28 - Trails, Hiking and Walking Routes - It is an objective of the Council to promote the development of regional and local networks of mountain biking, hiking and walking routes/trails. These should be waymarked/signposted and listed, where feasible and appropriate.

We measured the air quality on the Corbally Road and it is of a poorer quality to that measured on the Mill Road side of the school.

Scoil Íde is now designated a "Safer Routes to School " school as is St Munchin's and the Board of Mangement feel that this is an opportune time to put together a coherent and coordinated plan that wold allow us to enable the vast majority of our school population to cycle or walk to school safely

Please see attached document