Limerick City and County Council has appointed an internationally renowned firm of architects and urban planners, Allies and Morrison, to develop a masterplan for 75 hectares of land, primarily in public ownership, to the south of the city.
Allies and Morrison, based in London and Dublin, is working with the Housing Development Directorate of Limerick City and County Council to create an overarching and holistic plan for the strategic landbank including Baggot Estate, Ballinacurra Creek, Toppin’s Field and the Rosbrien lands adjacent to the M20.
The process will include thorough engagement and consultation with local community groups and interested stakeholders as well as understanding the existing physical and policy constraints.
The objective of the masterplan is to make the most of the existing assets of the place and introduce uses, which improve safety so that the local community can enjoy it.
The team will be exploring a wide range of options for new recreation uses, nature conservation, homes, employment and community infrastructure.
Seamus Hanrahan, Senior Architect with Limerick City and County Council said: “The design team assembled for the Southside Masterplan includes some of the world’s best architectural and urban design talent. We look forward to working with Allies and Morrison to complete the masterplanning process for this important strategic city landbank.”
“This work will be done in close consultation with the local community taking into account future needs with the objective of ensuring that the land uses proposed are maximised and that development takes place in a coordinated manner.”
Antony Rifkin, Partner at Allies and Morrison added: “Our approach is about working with the character of the place and listening to what local people tell us is important. We’re delighted to be working in Limerick and we look forward to exploring the great potential of this part of the city.”
As part of the engagement with the public, a roundtable workshop is taking place on Thursday 29 November 2018 from 6pm until 8pm at the Limerick Strand Hotel. This will be an opportunity to find out more about the masterplanning process and provide feedback, for example:
- Are there any anti-social problems in the area?
- Do you have any stories about the history of the Baggot Estate?
- Are there issues with parking around the recreational pitches?
- Do existing footpaths feel safe?
- What’s good about the area?
- Are there areas that could be improved?
Following the event, feedback will be recorded and used to inform the development of the proposed masterplan, while there will be further community engagement events taking place as the masterplan project progresses.
If you are not able to attend the engagement event, Limerick City and County Council would welcome your views please email: southsidemasterplan@limerick.ie.
For more details about the masterplan, search ‘Southside Masterplan’ on Limerick.ie, or follow @southside_mplan on Twitter.