Land Development Agency to set up a new office in Limerick

Land Development Agency Limerick – An early design concept for the Colbert Quarter

Land Development Agency to set up a new office in Limerick

By I Love Limerick Correspondent Tara Byrne

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The Land Development Agency (LDA) plans to open offices in Cork and Limerick later this year when public health restrictions allow.

The agency increases the supply of affordable housing on state land, is pursuing major housing projects in both cities and is also working to fast-track the delivery of massive regeneration projects in Cork’s docklands.

It said the move will facilitate more flexible working arrangements for its staff, but also recognises the role of the LDA as a national agency with a mandate to help boost the scale of cities outside Dublin, in line with the aims of Project Ireland 2040.

In Limerick, the LDA is working with the city and county council on plans for the redevelopment of a 50-hectare site around Colbert Station, to create a new urban quarter with a mix of residential, educational, health, community and recreational uses.

John Moran, Chair of the LDA said, “I am delighted for the LDA move to be one of the first public sector agencies to move to a distributed working model. Rebalancing the social and economic drivers of Ireland is critical to creating a more liveable and attractive country.”

He added, “Given the re-evaluation of how we can all work more flexibly post COVID, there is no better time for the LDA to support more balanced regional development by opening offices outside of Dublin. With our national team operating cohesively in numerous locations we will benefit from better diversity of thought as to how we prioritise and deliver on our mandate. We can also offer challenging and rewarding career paths both in and outside of the capital.”

We have announced plans to begin opening offices outside Dublin, starting with Cork and Limerick.https://t.co/wEf36VpCdK

— Land Development Agency (@LDA_Ireland) March 16, 2021

The bill has been criticised by some members of Limerick City and County Council who have expressed strong concerns as to its impact.

The new Land Development Agency Bill currently before the Oireachtas will allow the LDA to identify underused public lands, to draw up master plans to develop those lands and to manage the State landbank with the goal of increasing the supply of affordable housing.  It will also free up very significant capital from the Strategic Investment Fund for the LDA to drive on quickly with its mission.

John Coleman, Chief Executive of the LDA said, “The LDA’s mandate of improving the supply of affordable housing and making better use of state land is a nationwide project, and so it is appropriate that we expand our office footprint beyond Dublin.”

He added, “This plan will have the effect of creating office hubs located outside of Dublin for our team and therefore provide welcome flexible working options for staff who may not wish to work in Dublin. We are currently recruiting new members to our expanding team and hopefully, the announcement of our intention about new offices will open up the opportunity for a broader range of candidates to consider working with us.”

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