*UL aerial.
UL’s involvement in progressing Europe’s first university town in collaboration with Clare County Council is under review putting the viability of the venture in jeopardy.
An economic report prepared by Clare County Council and the University of Limerick found that the South Clare Strategic Development Zone (SDZ) would become the first ‘university town’ in Europe and could generate a gross added value of €1.795 billion annually to the Irish economy.
The designation of the lands as an Economic SDZ will enable the site to generate upwards of 3,500 jobs with additional employment being generated in the construction phase and subsequent spin-off developments.
In February 2022, an application was made to the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage to designate lands on the Clare side of the UL campus as an economic SDZ. A designated active company (DAC) which has a fifty fifty ownership between the local authority and university has also been created.
Concerns have been raised by Clare councillors on UL’s commitment to the project given the ongoing questions surrounding the university’s financial prudence. The Comptroller and Auditor General (C&AG) found that no formal valuation was done by UL prior to purchasing the former Dunnes Stores building in Limerick City for €8m while UL also admitted it paid “significantly above market price” when forking out €12.85million for the development of 20 homes to be used for student accommodation in Rhebogue.
A spokesperson for UL when asked by The Clare Echo on their future commitment to the South Clare SDZ outlined, “University of Limerick is continuing to engage with the Higher Education Authority in relation to the section 64 review. In consultation with the HEA, UL will agree a process for the implementation of recommendations, with independent oversight of the process. UL is at the end stage of this and a number of other review processes that have taken place over the past number of months.
“All major capital development projects are being reviewed in line with these recommendations and are being considered by both the Executive Committee and Governing Authority. As such, it would not be appropriate to comment further at this time”.
In a proposal before the October sitting of Clare County Council, Cllr Tony O’Brien (FF), Cllr Michael Begley (IND) and Cllr Rachel Hartigan (FF) requested the Council to ask “the relevant Minister to sign off and designate the Special Development Zone (SDZ) at Gilloge, Clonlara, County Clare, as applied for by University Limerick and Clare County Council”.
At a behind closed doors workshop, councillors were informed that UL may no longer be in a position to continue as a partner in the project.
Cllr O’Brien believed it was “a very simple request” as he referenced the “huge” body of work done by officials in the Council. “It would be a huge important economic benefactor,” he said.
Questions were raised by Cllr Begley on whether the Council was a joint applicant or “just a supporting act”. SDZ’s are excluded from the next planning and development bill, he flagged, “however it won’t come into force for some time so we have a window of opportunity to get window to sign off on this, so be it if we’re the last one signed off in the country”.
According to Cllr Begley, “this will cost the Minister nothing”. He outlined, “We would have two years minimum to come up with masterplan on how to make use of this. We shouldn’t deny ourselves the opportunity to make a case for the development of 300 acres of land for South East Clare which would not benefit just South Clare or South East Clare but Limerick too”.
Securing a designation for the SDZ is “a crucial step towards unlocking the future of South Clare and its long-term prosperity,” stressed Cllr Hartigan. “This designation cannot happen in isolation, for the SDZ to happen we need the designation of phase two of the Limerick Northern Distributor Road. We need to be proactive and forward thinking for the future of Clare, it will drive sustainable development”. She asked if the IDA had given their backing towards the research industrial unit planned.
Addressing the meeting, Chief Executive of the Council, Pat Dowling said, “I’d never regard myself as a supporting act”. He added, “Clare County Council have done everything in its power, it has never been found wanting in promoting this project”. He explained, “The reason it is potentially in question does not lie at our feet but rests with other difficulties at the University of Limerick”.
While the decision rests with Minister Darragh O’Brien (FF) it does so “only on a recommendation put before by him by a senior planner in the Department of Housing, only this summer we met with planners in the Department on this project, they have required certain steps to be taken, one of which for Clare County Council and UL to sign a commitment on the project going forward, I’ve dealt with three different presidents in UL on this project, they require that,” he added.
At a meeting with the Deputy President of UL this summer, Dowling was joined by Director of Economic Development Carmel Kirby and said he stressed the need for both parties to sign the commitment. “While empathising with their current challenges and difficulties which we all read about too regularly, I stressed we should proceed with a designation which is followed by a 24 month masterplan period, the 300 acres is in private property and is owned by UL”.
He continued, “The new management group in UL have not conceded to that request, we’re in a position of uncertainty right now, the senior planners in the Department cannot consider it further until UL commit to the project”. UL’s management are “consumed with other difficulties,” Dowling commented. “UL’s commitment to proceed with it, I don’t know what it is but it is somewhat in question”.
UL have yet to respond to the Council since their meeting in the summer time over their commitment to the SDZ. “We will continue to press for the matter but us going ahead on our own, we don’t build universities or university campuses”. He added, “the level of ambition hasn’t changed from our end but it definitely has changed from the university”.
Responding to the Chief Executive’s contribution, Cllr Begley commented, “I have some issues with what the CEO has said. If the designation was granted tomorrow, UL will not go away, UL’s problems will be sorted, it may take some time but one of their approaches to solving their problems appears to be throwing in the towel on some projects, they also disregarded their pressure to get the veterinary school”. He added, “I don’t see why it should hold us back in getting the designation. I don’t see why their current temporary issues should be holding this up”.
Cllr O’Brien replied, “I hear what the CEO is saying, I’ve no doubt we’ve done everything we can”. He added, “I’m concerned but we have invested heavily in this, both time from senior personnel in our planning department and I don’t want to see that go to waste. What can we do as a body to keep the pressure on”.
Dowling said they will continue to engage with the senior planner in the Department of Housing. “The Minister won’t sign anything without it being recommended to be signed. It has to be assessed fully and recommended to be approved or not approved, it is not as simple as a Minister approving the plan”. He said, “We have invested significantly both in staff time and financially going back over many years, the leap of faith we took in 2017 to provide for development of 300 acres of land in South East Clare was a significant one, a huge leap of faith which we’ve done everything to activate since then”. He told councillors he wished to provide a comprehensive report for their November meeting.
According to Cllr Pat Hayes, “a huge opportunity has been lost”. He said, “It hasn’t been resolved, we’re six years since we were first briefed on the Council about this”. Hayes added, “UL may have its difficulties but we’re still proud of the wonderful university down the road”.
