The Mid West Region has experienced a significant increase in retail and related development throughout the region, but more particularly in the greater Limerick City area and its immediate hinterland. Significant increases in consumer activity, population growth, investment opportunities in retail development, improved transport and infrastructural links have had a significant effect on the pattern of retail development throughout the region.

This has resulted in the pace and extent of such development far exceeding the planned retail development envisaged for the region in terms of the joint retail strategy adopted by the constituent Planning Authorities of the region in February 2003.

This significant increase in retail development has in turn changed the pattern of shopper behaviour. It is considered essential therefore that the existing strategy should be reviewed as a matter of urgency to identify the existing and future potential for the sustainable development of retail offer in the region, in accordance with changing demographics, spatial development and consumer and investment demands. Therefore, it is now necessary to update the Retail Strategy to reflect current and forecast growth patterns and to extend the time period of the strategy from 2008 to 2016. 

WHAT WORK WILL BE CARRIED OUT?

The update of the Retail Strategy will be underpinned by a comprehensive range of new household telephone surveys, which will quantify shopping patterns, health checks of existing centres and a technical assessment of the need for additional shopping centre floorspace in the Mid West Region through to 2016. This will require an in-depth analysis between the consumer demand for shops (growth in population and expenditure) and retail supply (existing retail floorspace stock plus planned developments). 


SOME TOPICS YOU MAY WISH TO COMMENT ON:

* Whether there is a capacity for new retail development and if so, how much and where should it go.

* The type and mixture of future retail development that is most appropriate – city centre shops, shopping centres, stand alone superstores, retail parks, high street shops, local shops, etc.

* Where should new retail development be located.

* The balance between Limerick and other towns in the Mid West area.

* The balance between city / town centres and out of centre locations.

PLEASE SEND ALL SUBMISSIONS TO:
Liam Conneally,
Director,
Review of Mid West Retail Strategy,
Mid West Regional Authority,
Friar Court,
Abbey Street,
Nenagh,

Co. Tipperary.

(067 33197)


These submissions should be received prior to 5.00 p.m. on Wednesday the 18th March 2009.

To view the previous Retail Strategy for the Mid-West Region please click link below:
Mid-West Retail Strategy 2002-2011 (pdf 421kb)