A ROW over a tiny plot of land, which could jeopardise the building of Limerick’s €350 million Opera Shopping Centre, was the subject of a hearing yesterday.
The meeting, chaired by An Bord Pleanála, was called following an objection by Red Room Limited, trading as the Trinity Rooms nightclub, to the compulsory purchase order by Limerick City Council of a small piece of land known as Bank Place.
The land, less than 100sq m in size, is the primary means of access to Trinity Rooms from Michael Street, but the purchase order of Bank Place would eliminate the public right of way.
Trinity Rooms managing director Pat Barry claims the compulsory purchase order would put the running of his business and its 103 staff at risk and cause hardship to employees, suppliers and customers. In a letter to An Bord Pleanála, Mr Barry’s solicitor Patrick Geraghty says if access from Bank Place was to be limited, the effect on the business would be “utterly disastrous” as it would mean the business would close “due to the lack of access and breach of fire regulations”.
The council’s senior planner, Dick Tobin, told the hearing the future of the development was dependent on the developers owning this piece of land. He said the council “must weigh carefully the opportunity of around 1,000 jobs with the temporary displacement of the 100 people employed in Trinity Rooms”.
A decision is due by An Bord Pleanála later this month.