Work has got underway on a major planning, land use and transportation strategy for Clare, North Tipperary, and Limerick City and County.Limerick City Council, on behalf of the Mid West’s Regional and Local Authorities, has signed an agreement with the international civil engineering consultancy, Mott MacDonald Pettit, to prepare the long-term framework for guiding future residential, commercial and industrial development in the Mid West region. The Mid West Area Strategic Plan (MWASP) is also expected to have a significant bearing on the development of the Region’s transportation infrastructure over the next 30 years, and will feed into the Regional Planning Guidelines for the Mid-West Region Review 2010-2022, currently being prepared by the Mid-West Regional Authority (MWRA)
Supported by the Department of Transport and the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, Limerick City Council will act as lead authority for the project on behalf of the MWRA, Clare County Council, Limerick County Council and North Tipperary County Council. According to Mr. Tom Mackey, Limerick City Manager and designated MWRA Manager, ‘It is important to develop a planning, land use and transportation strategy for the region to help it compete nationally and internationally. The strategy output will integrate transport and land use planning in the Mid West Region, while embracing the sustainable philosophy, and planning for the region’s current and future needs.’
Commenting on the Strategy, MWRA Director Liam Conneally stated ‘The output of the Strategy is not intended to be an “end-state”, but rather the first substantial step in a 30-year strategy that will shape the future of the Mid-West Region.’ He explained, ‘During the recent economic boom much development has been developer-led whereby strategic locations have been land banked for potential future development. This Study, however, is plan-led whereby the Regional and Local Authorities identify locations deemed suitable for sustainable development. Furthermore, the Strategy will feed into Mid West Regional Planning Guidelines and will particularly inform the Clare, Limerick and North Tipperary County Development Plans and the Limerick City Plan, which are presently under review.’
Mr. Conneally explained that the Strategy would provide the Mid West Authorities with evidence-based cases to justify undertaking large-scale planning and transportation projects. He continued, ‘the study will include a traffic model examining the impact of all new developments on the road and rail transportation network. The Regional and Local Authorities will be able to use the model to determine the potential impacts of any large scale commercial, retail or employment creation proposals on the existing transportation network in the areas concerned and provide vital information on infrastructure upgrades necessary to accommodate such projects. Ultimately, the model will contribute to the sustainable economic development of the Mid-West, as well as maximise the proper use of local, regional and national road, rail and other transport networks.’
The Mid-West local authorities, in conjunction with the MWRA, have broadened the scope of the commitment outlined in the national “Programme for Government 2007 – 2012” to include the undertaking of a regional public transport feasibility study as part of the Strategy development. As part of the Study preparation meaningful consultation with stakeholders and elected members is required at each stage in order to go forward into the process with an agreed shared vision.
‘The study will be used to leverage public and private funding into the provision of public infrastructure for the region. It will facilitate and guide the Government’s feasibility study into Luas-style light rail transit systems in Limerick, as well as support the continuation and completion of work on the N18 Dual Carriageway linking Limerick with Galway. Furthermore, the study will be used to inform and justify where public transport companies should invest in light rail or bus services, based on demand and population density’, added Mr. Conneally.
Mr. Tom O’Connor, a Limerick native and Managing Director of Mott MacDonald Pettit, noted that the development of a strategic plan for the region would ensure the balanced growth of the Study Area. ‘The Strategy will allow the Region to reach its fullest potential in terms of achieving maximum social, economic, physical and cultural advantage for its citizen’, he concluded.
