Limerick City Boundary Extension

good to hear some more news on this issue, i was going to make a thread specifically for the boundary but its already done. it will be funny if the boundary actually goes ahead, next years census will see over 100% growth for limerick city!

The city council and country council need to be working together. I think they are now forced to realise they are both going to suffer from this division centripetal nonsense.

I have always said the Limerick county council should focus on its county town. NCW.

Now they will soon realise they have no choice. But if they had listened a few years ago:rolleyes: They didn’t listen they decided to make as much of a mess they could around Limerick city so they could drain the city out. For the money!

Corruption at its best.

looking at the proposed map im guessing its going to be the exact same except not in county clare?

The bogland and University of Limerick lands should be in The boundary

I think Clare county council should allow this

@Tuborg wrote:

However both the suburban and rural areas of South East Clare have been dropped from the application.

Tuborg, this is news to me. Has the Department of Environment already rejected this or has the City Council backed down? :confused:

This is probably a wise call, as removing this highly contentious aspect surely gives the extension a much greater chance of going ahead.

I’m surprised that there seems to be a general shying away from confronting the problems that has bedevilled the city been run by three local authorities.

The contentious issues facing the city should be put on the table and especially here on the Clare side, the residents living in Meelick, Parteen, Ardnacrusha, Shannon Banks and Westbury should discuss their rural / suburban relationship with the city.

Its close proximity to the city centre is best illustrated by the fact that Shannon Banks is only a 2.5 km walk into the town! The reality that over the last 40 years the Clare County Council has rezoned rural farm land here to meet the housing (private only) demands of a growing city. Boundary extension or not, the city will continue to spill over and along both banks of the Shannon.

One urban administrative authority, one potential strong city.

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@CologneMike wrote:

Tuborg, this is news to me. Has the Department of Environment already rejected this or has the City Council backed down? :confused:

It hasn’t been officially announced yet but from what I’ve heard, Willie O’Dea advised the City Council that he would only lobby the Environment Minister on the condition that the lands in Clare were dropped from the proposal! It seems ridiculous that a man of such little political talent could have this much influence but maybe he had gotten some feedback on the issue from John Gormley?

I’m surprised that there seems to be a general shying away from confronting the problems that has bedevilled the city been run by three local authorities.

The contentious issues facing the city should be put on the table and especially here on the Clare side, the residents living in Meelick, Parteen, Ardnacrusha, Shannon Banks and Westbury should discuss their rural / suburban relationship with the city.

Its close proximity to the city centre is best illustrated by the fact that Shannon Banks is only a 2.5 km walk into the town! The reality that over the last 40 years the Clare County Council has rezoned rural farm land here to meet the housing (private only) demands of a growing city. Boundary extension or not, the city will continue to spill over and along both banks of the Shannon.

One urban administrative authority, one potential strong city.

You shouldn’t be too surprised by this Mike. Afterall gombeenism and county jersey politics rule the roost here unfortunately!

Obviously if one was to look at this objectively, its a no-brainer that these areas should be subsumed into the city. They only developed in the first place due to their proximity to the city and although they wont admit it, local residents rely almost completely on the services available in Limerick City.

Its well known that over the years Clare County Council almost totally neglected this portion of their administrative area, no doubt due to its isolation from the rest of the county. They provided no facilities whatsoever for the relatively large population in Shannon Banks, Westbury etc. Predictably it was only after the proposed boundary extension was mooted that Clare County Council finally opened an area office in Westbury.

I completely agree with you that in order for the city to reach its potential, a full boundary extension is needed. However that dosent bother the natives in SE Clare who’s biggest concern it seems is the potential impact on local GAA clubs!:rolleyes:

@Tuborg wrote:

It hasn’t been officially announced yet but from what I’ve heard, Willie O’Dea advised the City Council that he would only lobby the Environment Minister on the condition that the lands in Clare were dropped from the proposal! It seems ridiculous that a man of such little political talent could have this much influence but maybe he had gotten some feedback on the issue from John Gormley?

Maybe it was an unusual bit of pragmatism on his part in terms of actually having a chance of something going ahead?

I certainly would be of the opinion that one can worry about Clare later and the priority is Raheen/Castletroy.

The sooner Limerick Co. Co. are paying rates for their audacious headquarters just outside the current city boundary, the better.

Maybe as part of the boundary extension Athlunkard bridge could be removed !… that would help reduce the amount of future development in Co. Clare due to Limerick city and also ensure the rights of the kids on the Clare side of the bridge to wear the Clare GAA jersey !..

The Clare GAA jersey is a good point in question.

Firstly we are talking about a Limerick City Boundary extension into County Limerick and County Clare. Not a County Limerick move into County Clare!

The dilemma facing what were once idyllic country villages (e.g. Parteen, Annacotty or Mungret) in that they have now become engulfed by the growth of the city.

Their local GAA clubs seem to have an important social function in that it preserves their “local identity” in the face of enormous changes around them.

In fairness to the Parteen GAA club, they offer the “city kids” of Westbury / Shannon Banks a great sporting facility and so what if they only hurl in the Clare leagues. In my opinion here lies the way forward, one city with a Clare side and a Limerick side.

I personally have numerous relatives living on the Clare side of the city and have always used the following postal address to write to them.

Example:
Shannon Banks
Limerick City
Co. Clare

Griff, you may be joking by talking about removing Athlunkard bridge. However contentious issues need to be bridged by constructive discussion.

@jimg wrote:

Indeed it’s a classic example of externality or the “free rider” problem in economics. Both Clare and Limerick counties get lots of development levies and rates for allowing inappropriate development outside the city boundary but shoulder very little of the burden/cost of the poor planning. The city indirectly picks up much of the tab.

This is the point really – of course I dont want Athlunkard bridge removed , but you all remember the screams of horror from Clare politicians… well one in particular when the idea of extending the city into Co. Clare was originally proposed. I think that the new extension format – Limerick county only, is a more pragmatic approach that might actually be achieved this time – its nearly 60 years since the last boundary extension.