‘Dezoning’ of land in Limerick town is pin-pointed as issue in local area plan
A LIMERICK councillor has expressed concern at plans to ‘dezone’ land in Patrickswell which may rule out the building of homes.
Independent councillor Fergus Kilcoyne was speaking in relation to the village’s new local area plan which is open for people to have their say on until next month.
Once passed, this plan will effectively govern what can and cannot be built in the area.
If planning permission is sought for homes on land which has been ‘dezoned’, it is unlikely this would be approved.
Councillor Kilcoyne, a businessman in Patrickswell, pointed to land for up to 175 new homes set to be dezoned in the plan.
It’s something he described as a “retrograde step”.
“At a recent meeting in Patrickswell between a local group and the Minister for Housing Darragh O’Brien, I voiced my concern that lands were earmarked to be dezoned. The minister stated only flood plain lands should be dezoned and would be writing to council managers,” he said.
This, Cllr Kilcoyne claimed, has not happened in Limerick.
Land for houses near the roundabout, the old school, and around the main road are in line for dezoning, he said.
It’s the role of local members to pass area plans, and Cllr Kilcoyne said he will seek to have the lands in line for dezoning kept as housing.
A council spokesperson said the plan currently has provision for 306 new homes in the area, a figure it describes as being “adequate”.