THE personal viewpoints of Limerick people will have a significant bearing on the new strategic plan for Limerick City Centre, inclusive of the Opera Centre. Currently underway is a process of direct interaction with people from all age groups and walks of life, to access their ideas for a strategic review of Limerick city, which is spearheaded by Dr Christopher McInerney of the University of Limerick and Cllr Diarmuid Scully, leader of the Fine Gael representation on Limerick City Council.
The operation is supported by the School of Architecture at UL.
This Saturday (March 31) a two hour period of consultation is available in the Milk Market from 11am to 1pm and in the Crescent Shopping Centre from 2pm to 5pm. A public meeting will take place in Claughaun GAA Club at 8.30pm on the following Tuesday, April 3. “There is already great interest in public participation and we have been getting very positive feedback in terms of people’s ideas for the city centre and if people cannot come directly to pubic meetings we will go to them,” Dr McInerney said.
Community groups and clubs, youth clubs, social clubs and senior citizens clubs, arts, culture and heritage groups – many have already participated in volunteering their ideas, concepts and recommendations for a new design plan for the city centre.
“We will be asking Limerick Chamber to host a meeting to get the business perspective,” said Cllr Scully who is delighted with the enthusiastic reaction from the public to-date,
“People are queuing up to talk to us – we will survey over 1,000 people this weekend,” he said
“We aim to present a report in June – this is completely separate from one that the consultants for the Opera Centre, appointed by the city council will produce – we are concentrating on the entire city centre network of streets, routes, buildings, etc. Our report will go to the city’s Economic Policy Development and Future Planning Strategic Policy Committee and then to the consultants and will be incorporated into the city Centre Strategic Review”.
Information is available online from: twitter if you follow @ULpublicconsult or renewinglimerick@ul.ie
