An Economic and Spatial Plan for Limerick Appendices

Limerick 2030 An Economic and Spatial Plan for Limerick
Region there is an existing oversupply of retail floorspace due to years of development that were
followed by the economic downturn.
With regard to Limerick, it found that, based on trading patterns and the retail market offer, the core
shopping areas of Limerick City were sub-standard. Its share of retail floorspace had more than
halved since 2002, as consumers visit newer, out-of-town centres and retail parks. As a result, the
report found that Limerick City Centre is far behind similar settlements such as Cork and Galway and
is no longer performing its role in the retail hierarchy. It also found there is too much suburban retail
development in the Limerick Urban Area and when this is coupled with the current lack of demand
the results are a high level of vacant retail properties.
Mid-West Area Strategic Plan 2012 (MWASP)
The four Local Authorities in the Mid-West Region, which includes Limerick City Council (as lead)
Clare County Council, Limerick County Council and North Tipperary County Council have prepared
a Draft Strategic Plan which examines the future for the Mid-West Region. The Mid-West Area
Strategic Plan was prepared to secure the following overall objectives:
Prioritisation of investment in the Region
Strengthening The Limerick/Shannon Gateway as the core of the Region. The promotion of the
existing city and environs (the metropolitan city) as the economic driver for the Region is
fundamental
Strengthening the Limerick/Shannon Gateway, Nenagh and Ennis as the Hubs in terms of
population growth
Create and support a well defined hierarchy of settlement, as defined in the Mid-West Regional
Planning Guidelines, which will support the development of a series of rural economic nodes
such as Newcastle West, Thurles and Roscrea
Deliver the required transport infrastructure to meet the Plan objectives
Optimise the organisational structure to facilitate the delivery of the Plan objectives
Provide economic review and direction for the Region
MWASP is a strategy to facilitate a regional population of 500,000 no. persons that has been set for a
20-year time frame. An outcome of the strategy is a requirement for a significant public transport
investment requirement (€340m from 2012 – 2032), excluding the cost of land, buses or locomotives.
In the summary of the report it recognises that an integrated and proactive approach will be
required to grow the economic base and attract investment in both Limerick City and the Region as
a whole. It also notes the importance of Newcastle West and Kilmallock as “Rural Economic Nodes”
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