Derelict and vacant houses focus of Draft Limerick Development Plan

Details of the Draft Limerick Development Plan 2022-2028 have been published this week, setting out the overall strategy for the planning and sustainable development of Limerick over a 6 year period.

The draft plan is on public display from June 26th to September 6th. It will be availalbe to view in libraries across the city and county, as well as several other physical locations, including Newcastle West on 8th July.

The plan has divided settlements in Limerick county as ‘ large villlages’, ‘small villages’ or ‘ rural clusters’ and outlines plans for population growth, archaeological protection, tourism and enterprise development, and housing based on the classification type.

KILFINANE

For a large village, such as Kilfinane, it is proposed that housing should not increase more than 15%, unless in exceptional circumstances. A renewed focus is to be put on the reuse of vacant and derelict buildings in both larger and smaller villages. In small ‘rural clusters’, expansion will be limited to local growth, appropriate to the ‘size and character’ of the area.

The strategy provides a housing allocation of 81 units in Kilfinane in the next six years. Residential development is possible within the village centre, capitalising on the derelict and vacant sites that are there.

The Development Plan also focuses on the marketing and development of Kilfinane’s tourism potential, noting the presence of 44 protected sites within the village. The council aims to seek the provision of an off-road route to link the Ballyhoura Way to the village.

The plan proposes the development of Market House as a community and enterprise hub, subject to funding opportunities. The plan also proposes the restoration and reuse of Market Square with the potential for outdoor seating and market pitches. The building was acquired by the Council under the Derelict Sites Act in recent years.

The plan acknowledges that the ‘strong social fabric’ of smaller communities is an attractive draw for new inhabitants. In these areas, new developments will be limited to five to seven units, except in exceptional circumstances.

ALTERNATIVES

There are some misgivings relating to the Development Plan’s housing plan for rural areas. In a letter to the Strategic Planning Team in October 2020, Cllr Eddie Ryan from Galbally, requested that the plan allow for a ‘ flexible and pragmatic’ approach to housing, in particular to allow for one-off house building, in order to encourage population growth and capitalise on the cohort of the population who will be working from home, and so be flexible in their location.

Cllr Ryan also raised the issue that in villages in County Limerick, no planning can be granted as the existing water and sewage works are at capacity. In order to achieve population growth in rural areas, alternatives to housing developments must be considered.

The development of more sustainable modes of transport and travel are to be prioritised, and in rural areas investment in high-quality walking and cycling infrastructure is specifically highlighted. The plan promotes cycling between villages, and the reduction on the reliance on the car for short journeys.

For the small villages identified, the population growth is predicted to rise from 5,913 to 7,214, across 340 additional households.