Land Development Agency ‘rejects’ sixteen Limerick sites offered for affordable housing

THE LAND Development Agency (LDA) has revealed it was offered 16 sites across Limerick to develop affordable housing - none of which it chose to acquire.

According to its ‘Report on Relevant Public Land 2023’, several State bodies highlighted a number of smaller sites across the city which they suggested could have used for housing.

Ultimately, while six sites have been earmarked for the delivery of up to 4,600 affordable homes in Limerick, a number of smaller parcels of land were rejected.

The areas offered to the agency were a substation at the Savoy Hotel Development in Bedford Row in the city centre, owned by ESB which also offered its substation at Elm Place in Rathbane, on the city’s southside.

North of the Shannon, the former garda station at Mayorstone, owned by the Office of Public Works was forwarded to the LDA as an area for a home.

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The remainder of the properties and patches of land were offered to the LDA by Limerick City and County Council.

These included addresses at Creagh Avenue in Kileely on the northside, Catherine Street in the city centre and one unit at McDonagh Avenue in Janesboro on the southside.

Nearby, an industrial site at Galvone was also sent for consideration to LDA.

Lands in the city centre - at St Munchin’s Terrace, Lower Gerald Griffin Street and Pikes Row at William Street along with Treaty Terrace in Thomondgate - were also put forward.

The agency has not provided reasons as to why it did not proceed.

However, it says all the land offers it receives are assessed “to determine if they are relevant public land.”

“Consideration is also given to the land in terms of the appropriateness and the fit with the LDA role and remit prior to a response being issued to the relevant public body offering the land, as to whether it may be of interest to the LDA for acquisition.”

Limerick saw the most land offered by State bodies to the LDA outside Dublin. Sixteen patches of land were put forward on Shannonside, second only to the capital, where 27 parcels were offered.