Linear city of the future
AS PART OF THE NEW SPATIAL STRATEGY IT IS ENVISAGED THAT UPWARDS ON 50,000 PEOPLE COULD RESIDE IN BOTH DUNDALK AND DROGHEDA BY THE YEAR 2031.
Planning Louth’s future development, and tapping into the vast potential of the M1 economic corridor were the key themes of the joint Dundalk-Drogheda Chambers of Commerce conference in Castlebellingham yesterday (Monday)
Minister Eoghan Murphy met with representatives from both Louth towns who outlined just how significant a player the eastern seaboard will be in the next few decades, given it’s growing population and broad reach to other regions. north, south and west.
The removal of Dundalk as a Gateway in the Draft 2040 Development Plan came as a shock to us,’ said Paddy Malone, Dundalk Chamber.
‘ The new criteria of 50,000 population meant that Dundalk fell short of being include din the ambitious national plan.
But, he singled out one man, Anthony Abbott King, a senior planner in Louth County Council who found a way to ensure the county would feature in the government’s vision for the next twenty years.
‘Louth County Council’s proposal was the creation of a ‘Linear City’, where the Drogheda Dundalk corridor is considered as a single conurbation thereby comfortably meeting the population threshold.’
As part of the council’s Regional Spatial and Economic Strategy (RSES) the Dublin- Belfast Economic Corridor was recognised as a ‘growth enabler’ for the region.
The council’s strategy, which is being submitted to the Project 2040 plan also highlights that the Dublin-Belfast corridor ‘ has the capacity to provide the only potential paired city European growth pole of scale on the island: reaching a European benchmark five million population target to compete with similar city regions in the EU.’
The impending impact of Brexit has also been recognised in the plan, where it is acknowledged; ‘ The imperative to counteract Brexit with a proactive spatial economic strategy adds to the significance of the corridor.’
The local authority proposed to develop an Urban Area plan (UAP for Dundalk to provide a ‘coordinated planning framework to identify and deliver strategic sites and regeneration areas for the future physical, economic, and social development of the town to ensure targeted compact growth of a minimum of 30% is achieved.’
As part of this aim the need for the regeneration of specific parts of both Louth towns, including the Long Walk area in Dundalk and Westgate in Drogheda was highlighted
The council is in the process of implementing urban design visions for the regeneration of both areas.
But key to the local plans is the aim to incorporate ‘ population targets’ rather than caps for both Dundalk and Drogheda.
Indeed as part of the new spatial strategy it is envisaged that 50,000 people could reside in each town by the year 2031.
Chamber spokesman, Paddy Malone added that having reviewed the council’s comprehensive draft plan, it was recommended to support the strategy, ‘ but also extending the economic corridor to include Newry.’
‘ The submission Dundalk Chamber made addressed firstly the competitive advantages of the Drogheda Dundalk Newry corridor, and the threat of Brexit.’
He explained that the submission then looked at the region as part of the ‘All Island perspective.’
Dundalk Chamber also highlighted what is seen as ‘ the relative poor contribution by IDA in the region, both in numbers and average payroll cost.’
Concerns were raised that the area was still playing ‘catch up’ from the Troubles in the north.
‘But we acknowledge the area does have a large number of successful indigenous companies in the energy, food and engineering industries as a counterbalance.’
‘It’s important to point out too that the arrival of WuXi will be a game changer for Dundalk,’ said Paddy.
Speaking ahead of the meeting with Minister Murphy, Paddy added : ‘ The Chamber will emphasise that it’s focus is to support the Louth County Council proposal of the Drogheda- Dundalk as a ‘ linear city’ but also to expand it to include Newry.’
‘ The Minister has already indicated that if our submission was along those lines he would support it,’ said Paddy.
‘ The 2040 Plan as he announced in November 2017 responded to our submission in full. The focus on the M1 Corridor to Newry was noted, and the additional work on the All Island economy and the section on Brexit.’
‘He had taken on board all of what we and Louth County Council had submitted,’ added Paddy.
At the same time Drogheda Chamber had submitted a document in relation to the proposed Drogheda city status, which helped bolster the case for Louth’s MI economic corridor.
‘Both Louth County Council and Dundalk Chamber had been proven correct both in their analysis and in presentation,’ he pointed out.
‘What was most pleasing was that the plan recognized the strategic importance of the M1 corridor.’
The cross border element of the plan had begun some years earlier when Dundalk Chamber, along with Newry Chamber and Warrenpoint Chamber had made a submission to the Oireachtas All Island Committee in 2015 and had made oral submissions before that committee.
‘ This involved highlighting the positive advantages of the area but also the significant deprivation levels in parts of Dundalk and Newry,’
Paddy explained. ‘ These deprivation issues had been highlighted in a major study initiated by Dundalk Chamber and Louth County OCuncil together with Newry Chamber and Newry Mourne Council.’
The report had been written by the economist Pat McArdle, and followed similar findings in 2014 by the Department of the Environment, using 2011 data. which revealed that Dundalk and Letterkenny were the worst two performing Gateway towns.
‘Fortunately, the position since 2014 has improved based on available evidence,’ added Paddy Malone.
He explained that the work on developing a detailed submission to the Project Ireland 2040 plan involved a number of agencies, including the Louth Economic Forum.
‘ They endorsed the new ‘Louth Payments Corridor’, a new concept to highlight the advantages of the area to a wider range of industry but in particular to target UK companies and other multinationals.
‘We looked at what are known as UK tier two companies, those who need an EU passport and/or those supporting companies within the IFSC. Such companies, based on UK experience do not need to be physically in the city or the IFSC but must be accessible to it, both physically and via broadband.’ Paddy explained.
‘With rail and bus links from Dundalk to IFSC just sixty minutes and Drogheda 40 minutes, the M1 economic corridor is an ideal location.’
The plan also looked at the interests of foreign direct investment (FDI) companies who wish to come to Ireland and be close to Dublin or Belfast but not pay city costs, be they property or payroll.’
Again, the accessibility of both Dundalk and Drogheda to the two major cities proved a key part of its attractiveness for business and industry.