Stage agency criticised over lack of progress in delivering Colbert Quarter plan for Limerick

COUNCILLORS have criticised the Land Development Agency (LDA) over the slow pace of progress at a key site in Limerick city.

The LDA is charged with redeveloping a swathe of land near Colbert station, with the agency promising a “sustainable and flourishing new urban quarter” for the city.

It’s anticipated that around 862 homes will be provided.

Limerick’s latest development plan relies heavily on the development of the Colbert Quarter to meet its housing targets up to 2028.

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But at last week's council meeting, executives from the LDA were criticised by members for its timeline, which suggested planning permission may not be sought until the end of 2024, with construction from 2026.

“We have set out an indicative timeline, but I think it’s important to caveat that by saying the planning process at the moment is a challenging environment. We would hope obviously to get schemes into it as soon as possible, but we really are dependent on the planning system and the efficiency of it,” said Alan Kelly, strategic planning manager at the LDA.

Councillor Dan McSweeney, Fine Gael, warned perhaps too many housing units have been allocated to the Colbert Quarter, and raised the possibility of “dezoning” lands here – meaning they’d no longer need to be used for accommodation, in favour of elsewhere in the city.

“The message here today is we want keys in doors – nothing else,” he said. “Maybe we have to go back and look at the development plan and say ‘lads, we need to dezone land because this is not realistic’. That’s the message that’s going out there – that ye’re not going to deliver, and you’ll miss your targets.”

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Councillors Sharon Benson, Sinn Fein and Joe Leddin, Labour also expressed concerns, the latter saying: “We need to expedite in any way we can some of these plans. We are in a housing crisis – we need to break ground and start building homes.”

Dearbhla Lawson, the agency’s head of strategic planning said: “This is about delivering affordable, equality housing. What we are doing is making sure we are doing due process, working through the process and ensuring we are doing it in a proper way.”