Tipperary County Development Plan 2022–2028

1. Page 61

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   TIPPERARY COUNTY DEVELOPMENT PLAN 2022 – 2028 VOLUME 1 52 compact nature of the town, and its suitability to support a ‘10-minute town concept’ and active travel is evident. The town has a population of 17,140 (Census 2016) and is a strategic employment location situated on the River Suir close to County Waterford to the south. Clonmel is strategically located on the Waterford-Limerick N24 and rail corridor with onward linkages to the mid-west and south-west. Clonmel is the main centre in a linear network of towns in South Tipperary (Carrick On Suir, Clonmel, Cahir, and Tipperary Town) that form part of the strategic inter-regional transport and economic corridor between Waterford and Limerick and with excellent access to Cork, Dublin, Shannon and Waterford airports and connectivity to the ports of Waterford, Rosslare, Limerick- Foynes and Cork. Clonmel can play a key support role to Waterford; it is a major employment centre with a highly-skilled workforce of 6,970, with 58% of these employed in the town, and in a further illustration of its economic strength, it attracts at least 5,658 workers to the town every day. Clonmel accommodates 22% of all Tipperary jobs, with strengths in pharma, life science and technology, food production and services. Clonmel has a ‘Strategic Employment’ serviced landbank of 121ha at Ballingarrane Park – Strategic Business, Science and Technology Campus available for investment opportunities. The new TUS is significant for the existing campus in Clonmel giving it technological university status. Figure 4.1: O'Connell Street looking towards the Main Guard Clonmel is a vibrant and thriving town, a key regional centre for education, health services and social and cultural activities with a county museum, arts centre, theatre, swimming pool, library and cinema and numerous sports clubs. The town also has a national standard athletics track, a national standard slalom course on the river Suir and numerous sports clubs and facilities. The town plays host to nationally recognised festivals celebrating street theatre and music, and is a natural location

2. Page 62

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   TIPPERARY COUNTY DEVELOPMENT PLAN 2022 – 2028 VOLUME 1 53 to support outdoor and adventure sports and activities. The town is located near the ‘Munster Vales’ and is a hub for the new Suir Blueway Tipperary and has benefited from existing and planned investment in activity-based tourism. Funding has been received for strategic regeneration of the centre under the URDF focusing on the planned development of Suir Island, Kickham Barracks, a new regional sports hub and the ‘Flights of Discovery Tourism Plan’. The NDP and the RSES have identified the upgrade of the Limerick-Waterford rail line, and the N24 linking Waterford-Limerick as key infrastructural requirements, and route selection processes are underway for the N24 Waterford to Cahir section. With excellent environmental and infrastructural capacity, Clonmel is a self-sustaining regional economic driver, and a key location for investment and choice, and will support the overall development of the southern region. Clonmel Strategy for Growth Clonmel is designated as a self-sustaining regional growth centre in the Southern RSES and is a strategic employment location providing regional level services in the county. It acts as a major centre for the delivery of higher order retail provision, transport and public services including education, government functions and health care. In this role, it is targeted to grow by at least 30% in terms of population, and to attract a range of large employers and regional services, amenities and infrastructure. The Council will continue to support the role of Clonmel as a strategic location for large-scale industry, including life-sciences, technology, food production and manufacturing. The Council will continue to actively support the sustainment and expansion of the third-level sector and health services in the town. The Council will support the further development of Clonmel as a strong and attractive residential centre. The Council will work with the community to support more sustainable transport patterns, active travel and modal shift and will continue to support investment in the Limerick to Waterford rail line and enhanced provision of bus services to improve inter-regional connectivity. In particular, the Council will seek to maximise support under the ‘Town Centre First’ policy to develop Kickham Barracks and town centre areas, implement the Masterplan for Suir Island and the tourism product plan under ‘Flights of Discovery’. The Core Strategy has outlined a population and housing projection, and a projected residential land zoning allocation. The Clonmel Town and Environs Development Plan 201327 will remain applicable to its Plan area, until a detailed assessment and review of land zoning for residential development will be carried out in line with the NPF ‘Methodology for a Tiered Approach to Land-zoning’ to inform the preparation of a new Clonmel and Environs LAP. 27 https://www.tipperarycoco.ie/planning/town-development-plans

3. Page 63

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   TIPPERARY COUNTY DEVELOPMENT PLAN 2022 – 2028 VOLUME 1 54 Figure 4.2 Clonmel Town Profile Plan

4. Page 64

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   TIPPERARY COUNTY DEVELOPMENT PLAN 2022 – 2028 VOLUME 1 55 4.3.2 Nenagh Nenagh is addressed in Section 3.5 of the RSES, and the town boundary and compact growth area is set out in its Town Profile Plan (Figure 4.4). The relatively compact nature of the town and its suitability to support a ‘10-minute town concept’ and active travel is evident. Also evident is the strategic role of Nenagh as a key town strengthened by its proximity to the Limerick Metropolitan Area (Regional City) and the nationally important Lough Derg Lakelands. Nenagh has a population of 8,968 (Census 2016) and an impressive 4,357 jobs, giving a job to resident workers ratio of 1.25. Nenagh is the second largest town in Tipperary and is one of the fastest growing towns in the southern region. 50% of the town’s workforce are employed in Nenagh, with an additional 2,887 workers coming to the town every day to work. Almost 11% of all Tipperary’s jobs are in Nenagh in its large-scale indigenous industries. It is strategically located within the catchment of Limerick City, Shannon Airport and the Foynes Port areas. The RSES recognises and supports the role of Nenagh, as a Key Town with potential to develop with Limerick, Shannon and Ennis as a core economic driver of the Region. Figure 4.3: Courthouse, Banba Square, Nenagh Nenagh is located only 1 hr and 20 minutes from Dublin via the M7. The town and its hinterland is a suitable location for a vibrant and diverse enterprise mix, including major research and development functions, tourism, water-based and outdoor recreation, renewable energy, and emerging sectors

5. Page 65

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   TIPPERARY COUNTY DEVELOPMENT PLAN 2022 – 2028 VOLUME 1 56 such as agritech services, life sciences, financial services and engineering. The RSES has identified local road improvement measures including a link road between the N52 and the R445 and an inner relief road from the R498 to the R445. Nenagh is identified as a Gateway town in both the Lough Derg Visitor Experience Development Plan 2020 – 2024, and the Shannon Tourism Master Plan 2020 – 2030. Nenagh is an important visitor service centre, and building on this, funding has been received for the strategic regeneration of the centre under the URDF, focusing on the Historic & Cultural Quarter at Banba Square. Nenagh’s commitment to renewable energy, environment and sustainability has also supported a successful funding allocation for a ‘Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Energy’ under the RRDF. Nenagh Strategy for Growth Nenagh is identified as a ‘Key Town’ and a strategic employment location for a vibrant and diverse enterprise. It has major research and development functions, heritage and activity-based tourism and recreation and renewable energy and supports emerging sectors such as technology in agriculture, life sciences and is a centre of excellence for sustainable energy. In this role, it will grow by at least 30% in terms of population, and complement the development of Clonmel in the south of the county. The Council will work with the community to support more sustainable transport patterns, active travel and modal shift. The Core Strategy has outlined a population and housing projection, and a projected residential land zoning allocation. The Nenagh Town and Environs Development Plan 2013 28 will remain applicable to its Plan area, until a detailed assessment and review of land zoning for residential development will be carried out in line with the NPF ‘Methodology for a Tiered Approach to Land-zoning’ to inform the preparation of a new Nenagh LAP. 28 https://www.tipperarycoco.ie/planning/town-development-plans

6. Page 66

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   TIPPERARY COUNTY DEVELOPMENT PLAN 2022 – 2028 VOLUME 1 57 Figure 4.4 Nenagh Town Profile Plan

7. Page 67

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   TIPPERARY COUNTY DEVELOPMENT PLAN 2022 – 2028 VOLUME 1 58 4.3.3 Thurles Thurles is addressed in Section 3.5 of the RSES, and the town boundary and compact growth area is set out in its Town Profile Plan (Figure 4.6). The relatively compact nature of the town and its suitability to support a ‘10-minute town concept’ and active travel is evident. Thurles is a strategically located urban centre of significant influence in a sub-regional context, with excellent road and rail linkages with Limerick, Dublin and Cork. It has a population of 7,940 (Census 2016) and strong employment with 3,369 jobs. Having consideration to the designation of nearby Lisheen as a National Bioeconomy Campus, Thurles will be a driver of the bioeconomy, including bioenergy and bio-technology. With the 445-hectare site, Thurles and Lisheen will be a strategic national economic and employment driver as one of six designated sites within the EU for piloting the next generation of the bioeconomy. The development of the bioeconomy campus at Lisheen will be plan-led with a masterplan to be put in place. Synergies between the proposed campus and Thurles town will be identified at LAP stage. Figure 4.5: Thurles Town Centre The Shannon Commercial Properties site at Archerstown has also been highlighted in the RSES as a key site for the town. In terms of key infrastructural requirements, the RSES has identified a Thurles relief road and State investment in rail infrastructure. Other requirements for the town include the

8. Page 68

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   TIPPERARY COUNTY DEVELOPMENT PLAN 2022 – 2028 VOLUME 1 59 provision of a by-pass and the identification of employment sites/opportunities through the LAP process. Thurles is a centre of international and national standard sporting facilities and is the founding location of the GAA. The Council and its stakeholders are actively working to achieve the strategic regeneration vision of the ‘Thurles Town Centre Renewal Strategy 2021’ under which the ‘Thurles Market Quarter’ received RRDF funding, prior to this, significant URDF funding was awarded for the enhancement of Liberty Square. Thurles is a vibrant market town with a significant employment base attributable to its thriving indigenous businesses. Thurles is a regional educational hub with primary, secondary and third level educational institutes. Thurles is home to two third level colleges making it a key location of education, research and development, harnessing opportunities afforded by the university status. The new TUS Thurles incorporates the former LIT campus in Thurles, giving it a new status as part of a technological university, and the development of large-scale on-campus multi-purpose sports facilities, additional teaching and enterprise facilities and student accommodation, will be supported. Thurles Strategy for Growth Thurles is identified as a ‘Key Town’ to grow by 30% and is a strategic employment location, with the potential to benefit from Tipperary’s proposed role as an emerging centre for the bioeconomy, harnessing the employment and economic potential of the Lisheen Thurles National Bioeconomy Campus. In line with the Thurles Town Centre Renewal Strategy 2021, the town will develop as an attractive place for those who wish to live in a rural and affordable town, and yet be well connected to Dublin and Cork via the road and rail networks. This connectivity will also support the role of the town as a regional centre of education and learning, and as a centre for national standard sporting facilities. The Council will work with the community to support more sustainable transport patterns, active travel and modal shift. The Core Strategy has outlined a population and housing projection and a maximum residential land zoning allocation. The Thurles Town and Environs Development Plan 2009 29 will remain applicable to its Plan area, until a detailed assessment and review of land zoning will be carried out in line with the NPF ‘Methodology for a Tiered Approach to Land-zoning’ to inform the preparation of a new Thurles and Environs LAP. 29 https://www.tipperarycoco.ie/planning/town-development-plans

9. Page 69

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   TIPPERARY COUNTY DEVELOPMENT PLAN 2022 – 2028 VOLUME 1 60 Figure 4.6 Thurles Town Profile Plan

10. Page 70

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    TIPPERARY COUNTY DEVELOPMENT PLAN 2022 – 2028 VOLUME 1 61 4.4 District Towns The six District Towns (as indicated on Figure 2.4 Core Strategy Map) have important roles in supporting their hinterlands and the Key Towns, and in particular in supporting local economic strengths, and in providing housing and services. The District Towns will accommodate approximately 20% of total population growth over the lifetime of the Plan. 4.4.1 Carrick-on-Suir The Town Profile Plan (Figure 4.8) for Carrick-on-Suir illustrates the town boundary, compact growth area, walking and cycling distances and other relevant planning opportunities and constraints. The relatively compact nature of the town and its suitability to support a ‘10-minute town concept’ and active travel is evident. Carrick-on-Suir is a town of 5771 persons, located on the Limerick-Waterford Transport and Economic Network and served by the N24 national route and the national rail network. It is located only 28km from the Waterford Metropolitan Area, with its services, port and coastal amenities, with many of its workforce employed in the city. Population growth has been low, and new employment opportunities are needed; however, the town has strong assets and capacity for growth. Key strengths include the town’s connectivity with Clonmel and Waterford, and ease of access to their amenities and services. The RSES states that Carrick- on-Suir as a ‘Hinterland Town’ will be supported in providing options for employment and housing, supported by sustainable transport links to the Waterford Metropolitan Area. Figure 4.7: Carrick on Suir Marina with Slievenamon in the background

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