About

Planning Process and the Spatial Framework

The Framework has been developed to support and build on policy objectives of the Limerick Development Plan 2022-2028 which identify the Colbert area as a key brownfield area for development and revitalisation as a new urban quarter for Limerick.

This Framework is a design-led exercise that sets the vision, principles and key opportunity sites with guidance to shape how this area could be unlocked and developed over time. The Framework provides flexibility to guide how this area could evolve and grow over time, together with the rest of Limerick City, in a dynamic and sustainable way.

By strengthening connections, providing a mix of high quality homes and creating opportunities to live and work in the city centre, it will set the scene for a mixed-use, socially diverse, vibrant urban quarter.

The Framework has analysed key brownfield and underutilised land banks that may be suitable for development, setting out a vision of how the redevelopment of the lands might evolve and the actions necessary for a coherent and integrated redevelopment to be facilitated. The Framework includes principles to guide and shape development opportunities. It is not designed to be overly prescriptive, ensuring flexibility to adapt with the aim being to support optimising key opportunity sites to deliver sustainable development in line with the Colbert Quarter vision. There is indicative phasing for short, medium term and future delivery opportunities. For the Limerick Development Plan period 2022 – 2028, it anticipated that early delivery opportunities are most likely to include potential for proposals to be progressed in relation to relevant lands around the train and bus stations, St. Joseph’s Hospital Campus and Guinness lands. Further information will be provided as the LDA works with partners to progress proposals.

WHO WE ARE: The Partner’s

Land Development Agency (LDA)

The LDA are a commercial, State-sponsored body that has been created to coordinate land within State control for more optimal uses where appropriate, with a focus on the provision of housing.

The LDA will improve the way the housing market functions by:

Working with State bodies and Local Authorities to make more effective use of State lands, providing a stable, sustainable supply of land for housing.
Improving the planning system to facilitate State lands being used for housing.
Acquiring and developing land in a selective, targeted way that boosts housing supply.
Delivering rental market initiatives that provide affordable mass-market tenure.
Investing in research and innovation to identify new and better ways to deliver new homes.

Limerick City and County Council

Limerick City and County Council (Comhairle Cathrach agus Contae Luimnigh) is the authority responsible for local government in the City of Limerick and County Limerick in Ireland. In operation from 1st June 2014 after the 2014 local elections, it is a merger of Limerick City Council and Limerick County Council under the provisions of the Local Government Reform Act 2014.

Organisation Vision & strategic Objectives:

That Limerick is the desired location for business development, cultural enrichment and educational opportunity
Acknowledged for its inclusive participation of all it’s citizens in the development of their community
That Limerick and the mid west will compete with other European destinations in terms of business, tourism, living and investment
That the people of Limerick are supported by a professional, proactive and accessible local government structure at the heart of a wider public service
A new model of local governance and service delivery
An environment for real economic development and job creation
Empowering the citizen to participate in the development of their community both rural and urban

CIE Group

The goal of the CIÉ Group (“the Group”) is to deliver attractive sustainable public transport services, which supports the continued growth of the Irish economy and social cohesion. The Group has the unique capacity to manage a cost effective delivery of high quality public transport solutions across Ireland.

The Group works in collaboration with its shareholder, the Minister of Transport, and with the regulator, the National Transport Authority (NTA).

As the leading provider of public transport services in the State, the CIÉ Group is committed to provision of accessible services for all of its customers.

Córas Iompair Éireann (CIÉ) is Ireland’s national public transport provider.

HSE

The HSE provides all of Ireland’s public health services in hospitals and communities across the country. Its vision is A healthier Ireland with a high quality health service valued by all and mission is to ensure people in Ireland are supported by health and social care services to achieve their full potential.

People in Ireland can access safe, compassionate and quality care when they need it. People in Ireland can be confident that we will deliver the best health outcomes and value through optimising our resources.

Work To Date

In late 2019, the Land Development Agency (LDA), in partnership with Limerick City and County Council, CIÉ and the HSE, began exploring ways to unlock the potential of a 69-hectare area around the city’s main transport hub, Colbert Station, for the benefit of Limerick and to meet its future growth aspirations. This culminated in the publication of a Design Review in 2020 which provided five, architecturally led, high-level visions on how the area could evolve to provide a sustainable, vibrant, city quarter.

The people of Limerick were invited to have their say through earlier rounds of public consultation on the Design Review resulting in the preparation of the Draft Colbert Quarter Strategic Framework plan which has taken into consideration views and aspirations from the community and key stakeholders.

The Framework was accompanied by a Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) Environmental Report, an Appropriate Assessment (AA) Natura Impact Report and a Strategic Flood Risk Assessment. The consultation period on the Spatial Framework ran from 16^th September to 11^th November 2021.

Following publication of the Framework comments and submissions were collated and considered to inform the final Colbert Quarter Spatial Framework plan www.colbertquarter.ie. The finalised Framework represents a blueprint for the potential transformation of this strategically significant area of Limerick City over the next twenty years. This will guide the development of the area and provide flexibility to respond and enable the area to evolve over time. The aim of the Framework Plan is to catalyse and unlock the potential and progress delivery of a new sustainable and mixed-use vibrant quarter for this strategically significant gateway to Limerick.

In progressing the development proposals to the next phase, the LDA in partnership with our partners, Limerick City and County Council, CIÉ and HSE and the design team is currently working on the preparation of an Infrastructure Delivery and Phasing Plan (IDPP) and a Masterplan for Districts 3 and 4 as identified in the Framework Masterplan – incorporating St Joseph’s Hospital lands. It is anticipated that these documents will be available for public consultation in summer 2023.