Moran Plan: ‘We can make Limerick the most desirable place to live in Ireland’

- Frontrunner to hold public meetings to ‘discuss and improve’ his plan -

Limerick Mayor frontrunner John Moran has released the first pillar (A More Liveable Limerick) of his plan to make Limerick “the most desirable location in Ireland to live”, leveraging the county’s natural beauty, astounding heritage and innovative, hard-working people in a drive to build thousands of new homes, create new transport links for all and boost culture.  Other pillars will be announced weekly over the next 21 days.

In a detailed, 20-page document, the former Department of Finance chief sets out 111 examples of actions needed to transform the lives of everyone living in the county, and promises that if he is elected Mayor on 7 June he will drive “liveability” as one of his priorities. Launching the plan as part of a series of two meetings a week on delivering ‘more for Limerick’, Moran said he wanted to stimulate public debate and discussion, and welcomed all suggestions and improvements to his policy document which will form the basis of his mayoral programme, if elected.

“If the people of Limerick elect me as their Mayor, I want to start from day one with actions to tackle the housing crisis.

“We need a radically new approach if we are ever to fix the problems caused by this avoidable crisis.  As I think is obvious from my work on Colbert Quarter, I prefer planning led development rather than speculator led development.”

“My plans announced today are social in thrust and very ambitious. Capital and financing only feature as the means to those ends. The private sector is of course very welcome to participate in the delivery of this new vision for Limerick. But I will guarantee that the terms of any private sector participation will be fair for all and this will be guaranteed by my promise of continued innovative intervention by Limerick Council to firstly reduce prices and then keep them affordable for residents of Limerick. 

The people of Limerick will recognise this approach as it is reminiscent of the scale of Robert Pery’s intervention when delivering New Town Pery.”

I also want to reiterate that I want to involve the people of Limerick in the decision-making process in a new and more direct way, as we go along.” he said. “I am genuinely independent – I am not bound by any party policies or practices – and I want my county to be the best place in Ireland – in the EU – for people to live.”

Moran said that Limerick has huge potential but still has many problems, and the transformation would not happen overnight, but that with smart, rigorous planning and determined implementation “there is absolutely nothing to stop us”.  He also has outlined actions designed to see quick results to alleviate the current housing crisis.

Amongst the many ideas outlined in the plan are:

• Limerick City and County to acquire thousands of its own affordable rental housing stock, similar to Vienna, Austria.
• Foynes to become the home for Offshore Renewable Energy in Europe, with advance planning for the town delivering new homes to get ahead of significant population growth and pressure on transport links and amenities for everyone in the area.
• New parks, cultural centres and sports facilities – for all ages – in the city and many towns, for example a tidal swimming pool on the River Shannon and music festivals and clubs in different parts of the County.
• Each town, village and city neighbourhood to develop its own Unique Selling Point (USP) for the next county development plan and with support from the Mayor's office and local councillors deliver improvements to make life better.

The document sets out specific and measurable actions to be delivered within the mayoral term under eight headings:

1. More Affordable Housing for Limerick
2. A More Desirable Limerick
3. A Safer and More Community Driven Limerick
4. More Culture, Visual and Performing Arts
5. More people centred better quality Public Realm
6. More Options for Mobility
7. More Valued Heritage Assets
8. A More Fun Limerick

 Each proposal and commitment is measured against two essential criteria: Is it feasible over a five year term, and will it make Limerick’s villages, towns, suburbs and city centre more beautiful, more people focused, more affordable, more sustainable, more liveable – and even more fun?

Many of the proposed solutions do not rely solely on the private market. In some, Moran recommends significant public interventions led directly from the Mayor’s office using several tools at the disposal of Limerick Council, including a repurposed Limerick 2030 DAC and the Land Development Agency.

Moran acknowledges that a number of ideas cannot be fully delivered within five years but stresses the importance of starting and making concrete progress, so that Limerick can be positioned to succeed in the decades ahead within five years.

 The document includes several existing, practical ideas that are long overdue projects, for example a co-ordination of transport nodes with planned building masterplans across the city; the sewage treatment needed in Askeaton; delivery of Colbert Quarter; and the re-opening of neglected cultural ‘built heritage’ like the Royal Cinema and Bannatyne Mills and the restoration of the fire damaged Sailors Home as a cultural facility.

Other more dramatic and interesting proposals also catch the eye include two new neighbourhood theatres adjacent to primary schools in Moyross and Kings Island; the development of a museum of gaming, restoration of the medieval mansion in Kilmallock and the former Bank of Ireland building in Bruff to house active community based enterprise or cultural centres, new city parks in Delmege Estate, along by the river towards Parteen and overlooking the city from Southhill; and the reopening of the train station in Adare in time for the Ryder Cup and thereafter to serve the growth of Adare into the future.

Moran today has issued an invitation to all Limerick people to come and discuss - and improve - his vision of what a more ‘Liveable Limerick’ could be, and how to achieve it, at two public meetings - the first tonight at the Cú Chulainn in Patrickswell at 6.00pm and a second at An Eaglais (the old McKern’s printing premises on Glentworth Street) on Saturday (20 April) at 2.30pm.

Ends

Note for editors:

Part 1 of John Moran’s Mayoral Manifesto   Read More