IGS Planning Officer Donough Cahill was one of two representatives of the architectural heritage society that made a presentation to the council’s Economic Policy Development and Future Planning Strategic Planning Committee this week.

He said that a conference looking at the city’s Georgian sections last May had been instrumental in compiling the “Georgian Quarter” section of the draft strategy, but the council could learn from the Grainger Town Project in Newcastle Upon Tyne.

Grainger suffered from the “classic symptoms of decay” such as traffic congestion and lack of investment but the project had a dramatic effect.

“When the Grainger Town Project was established in 1997, it aimed to attract £40 million in public funding and £80 million from the private sector,” said Mr Cahill, and the “overall challenge was to develop the area for modern day usage”.

The community and local authorities—over 90 stakeholders in total—were involved and the result was an extra £5 million in Government funding, among other things.

“The project eventually got £197 million in private investment and it created 1900 new jobs,” he added.

The project also created many new buildings and homes as well as assisting with the restoration and conservation of over 121 buildings. He added that a “dedicated budget” was one of the most important aspects of its success.

Mr Cahill also said that it was “essential” that Limerick City Council engage a heritage/ conservation officer, if possible with a planning background, to advise on Limerick’s strategy for the future. The council hopes that the streets of the ‘Newtown Pery’ will come in for refurbishment and development under the long term plans.

The closing date to submit comments on the draft City Centre Strategy is today (November 21). The plans can be viewed at city hall or on www.limerickcity.ie.

Comments can be sent to This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it or to John Field, Director of Planning and Economic Development at City Hall, Merchant’s Quay, Limerick City.

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