Permission approved for almost 300 new homes in Limerick city centre

LIMERICK council planners have afforded conditional permission to the construction of almost 300 new homes in the city centre.

Some 285 new homes are planned at the former gasworks site, is located at the junction of O'Curry Street and Dock Road.

The project is being led by the Land Development Agency (LDA), a public body designed to deliver homes on State-owned land.

The LDA says it hopes to proceed with its plans to commence construction on the site in early 2027.

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However, with 11 groups and individuals lodging submissions in relation to the planning application, they will have the opportunity to request that An Coimisiún Pleanála reviews the council decision.

The homes are set to designated as both social and cost-rental.

In Ireland, social housing refers to affordable rented homes designed for low-income individuals or families, the elderly, disabled, or homeless.

Cost rental homes are type of affordable, long-term, and secure rented housing for people with moderate incomes who do not qualify for social housing but struggle to afford market-rate private rentals

As things stand, the blueprint will see 142 one-bed apartments, 127 two-bed apartments and 16 three-bed apartments.

These will be built across three blocks ranging from five to eight storeys.

Plans for a new public plaza, landscaping, play areas, retail units and a childcare facility have also been approved by council while existing heritage artifacts, including the freestanding limestone wall which faces on to Dock Road, will be retained and incorporated into the design.

John Coleman, chief executive of the LDA said: "This is great news for the LDA and for Limerick. We worked carefully on the design process for this site before putting forward a strong set of plans for a high-quality development. We are pleased to have now secured planning approval, and we are looking forward to getting construction underway. This much needed cost rental and social housing will be developed on an excellently located site and has the potential to revitalise the area through the delivery of 285 new homes and a range of new amenities. I would like to again thank Gas Networks Ireland for working with us on the transfer of this site and assisting us in accelerating new housing delivery”

The gasworks site originally produced town gas from coal and was operational up until the 1970s. After this, the facility became an oil-gas plant until 1986.

From then until around the year 2000, activity wound down at the site, with the land laying idle.

Across the last 10 years, Gas Networks Ireland has embarked on a comprehensive programme to remove gas remains from deep underground.

The completion of this has paved the way for this housing development.