Minister urged to force Limerick council to remove zoning for data centre
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The Minister for Local Government and Planning, Peter Burke, has been urged to use his statutory powers to direct Limerick City and County Council to remove the rezoning of a large, isolated site on the outskirts of the city for a data centre.
The Office of the Planning Regulator has also recommended to the minister that he should instruct the council to alter parts of its adopted Limerick Development Plan 2022-2028 which will facilitate the rezoning of high-risk flood areas for various types of development including housing.
The OPR said no adequate reasons or explanations had been provided by councillors for not accepting its recommendations.
The State’s planning watchdog claims the development plan has failed to implement its recommendation to omit the proposed zoning of an isolated 33-hectare site at Ballysimon House beyond the city’s boundary for a data centre.
Councillors chose to ignore the recommendation of both the OPR and the council’s chief executive not to proceed with the rezoning at Ballysimon as they claimed the site had excellent grid connection opportunities and is close to a natural aquifer which would provide suitable water requirements for a data centre.
The elected representatives said both the Government and the council also recognised the need and opportunity for a data centre in Limerick.
They also said the site is ideally located close to the M7 motorway and key road links.
However, the regulator Niall Cussen pointed out 18 hectares of undeveloped land within Limerick city were already zoned specifically for data centres.
Mr Cussen said no evidence-based rationale had been provided for the Ballysimon rezoning and it was inconsistent with national planning policy and guidelines on sustainable development which seek to “strengthen the value of greenbelts to allow for the long-term strategic expansion of urban areas.”
The regulator also urged Mr Burke to use his powers to direct the council to remove five proposed rezonings for different uses because they are located in high-risk flood zones.
The five sites are at Ballykeeffe, the former Green Park racecourse, lands adjacent to the Crescent Shopping Centre in Dooradoyle and two sites on Pa Healy Road.
Mr Cullen said councillors appeared to misapply or fundamentally misunderstand guidelines relating to high-risk areas as the proposed rezonings had failed a justification test.
The regulator said the core message of the guidelines in relation to flood-risk areas was one of avoidance “unless the development envisaged is critical to the functioning of a city or town centre".
Mr Cussen said significant concerns remained about the rezoning of 14 hectares of the former racecourse at Green Park which councillors claimed was needed to address the city’s unprecedented housing crisis.
Councillors also pointed out that An Bord Pleanála had already granted planning permission for 371 homes on the site once flood mitigation measures were taken.
Mr Cussen said there would be suitable alternative lands for housing in areas of lower risk within or adjoining the core area of Limerick.
He noted that the portion of the former racecourse for which planning permission was at a lower risk of flooding than other parts of the site.
The regulator said the rezoning of lands near the Crescent Shopping Centre for “enterprise and employment” uses was also premature until the Limerick Flood Relief Scheme was progressed.