Planning amendments to Limerick Opera Square site submitted

LIMERICK Twenty Thirty is seeking a planning amendment for its landmark Opera Square building, public realm and Central Library.

This move, on behalf of Limerick City and County Council, is to achieve the latest sustainability requirements and deliver enhanced design standards in keeping with the city’s Georgian heritage.

Chief Executive of Limerick council, Dr Pat Daly, said that a sustainability movement is gaining "huge momentum" across the Mid-West and asserted that the local authority are "determined to play a very significant role in that."

The amendment to An Bord Pleanála will be submitted by Limerick Twenty Thirty on behalf of Limerick City and County Council today, November 4, with a four-week public information period commencing immediately until December 2. 

Information Boards will be on display in local authority buildings at Merchants Quay and Dooradoyle, as well as Limerick Twenty Thirty’s office at Gardens International on Henry Street, also from today.

Meanwhile, the final phase of the 18-month enabling and demolition works, the largest ever undertaken in Limerick, are ongoing and will culminate with a special programme aimed at securing the two most vulnerable of the 16 heritage protected buildings being retained on the Opera Square site.

The planning amendment for the 14-storey landmark building on Opera Square is necessitated by latest NZEB (Nearly Zero Energy Buildings) statutory regulations that were introduced since planning was granted in February 2020.

As a result of the new regulations, the fully glazed design for the 14-storey building no longer meets sustainability requirements and must be replaced.

The amendment also sees a range of other improvements to buildings and public realm to deliver world class sustainability standards across the 3.7acre site.

‘Significant change’ in landmark Limerick project sparks fresh discussion

These include facade design amendments to the Limerick Central Library building, as well as reconfigured building cores, stairs and lifts.

Allowance for renewable sources of energy for heating and cooling in the building is also included in the amendment. Other changes include relocation of the café from basement to ground floor to improve activation of the square and the external terrace, as well as widening of the circulation-only bridges to create usable galleries overlooking the atrium and public realm.

Amendments will also be made to the Four Opera Square office building in the centre of the site, including facade design amendments to satisfy sustainability regulations in addition to reconfigured building core, stairs and lifts.

Public Realm amendments will also include increased social amenities, biodiversity, and sustainability measures in the public spaces as well as an upgraded mirror pool, increased vegetation including greening of walls for improved biodiversity complete with native and pollinator friendly planting.

There will also be management of storm water using Sustainable Water Management (SUDs) strategies including rain gardens, water attenuation and rainwater harvesting.

Further information on all amendments can be found on the Information Boards which are on public display.

Chief Executive of Limerick Twenty Thirty, David Conway, said: “We believe that, as with the sustainability enhancements, these visual aspects will be a major plus for the project also. The new design for our landmark building, in particular, is complementary to the Georgian heritage of the wider site and Limerick city."