County Council chairman welcomes IDA Ireland plans for Dundalk land-bank

The development could create up to 1,800 jobs over time and the timeframe for the development now proposed by IDA Ireland means that it will come on stream at a time when the global economic slowdown will hopefully be behind us and it is a good sign for Dundalk’s future that this type of forward planning is happening at this time

Cllr Declan Breathnach

17/07/2008

IDA
County Council chairman welcomes IDA Ireland plans for Dundalk land-bank

County Council chairman welcomes IDA Ireland plans for Dundalk land-bankCllr Declan Breathnach, Chairman, Louth County Council has welcomed the decision by IDA Ireland to make a planning application to the Council for a major development at its land-bank at the IDA Dundalk Science & Technology Park at Mullagharlin, Dundalk.

The advance project will provide state-of-the-art accommodation for two major biopharmaceutical facilities and six related high-quality offices at the land-bank between the M1 Dublin-Belfast motorway and the Finnabair Business Park to the southwest of Dundalk and will allow IDA Ireland to market Dundalk as an attractive investment location and designated gateway to the northeast region.

It is hoped that the site will prove particularly attractive to companies looking to take advantage of Dundalk’s location midway between Dublin and Belfast on the north-south economic corridor, its access to the pool of students from both Dundalk Institute of Technology (DkIT) and the close-by institutes and universities in Dublin and Belfast in addition to the fact that 3.8 million people live within a 90-minute radius of the site.

The bio-pharmaceutical manufacturing sector is among IDA Ireland’s priority areas and Ireland has already had considerable success in attracting companies from what is a major global growth sector. Louth Local Authorities have worked closely with IDA Ireland for a number of years on preparing the site involved for development and supported the State agency in servicing the site and developing road access.

Welcoming the decision by IDA Ireland to lodge a planning application for the development this month, Cllr Breathnach said: “The creation of a world-class Science and Technology Park at this prime location will make Dundalk an even more attractive destination for inward investment and – following on from the SATIR announcement for Finnabair in May - the IDA Ireland decision to proceed with a planning application will provide a competitive advantage to attract inward investment from the biopharmaceutical sector and represents a further vote of confidence in the town and Louth more generally.

“With 428,000 people living within a 50-kilometre radius of this land-bank and given the steady stream of high-calibre graduates emerging from Dundalk Institute of Technology (DkIT) each year, there is no reason why Dundalk cannot become a real premier location for investors seeking a skilled labour pool, good access to major Irish and overseas markets and excellent infrastructure. Indeed, I think we can sometimes undervalue the key role DkIT plays as an attractor of investment and I have no doubt that Denis Cummins and his colleagues will spare no effort in working with IDA Ireland, Louth Local Authorities and others to ensure a good occupant is quickly identified for this new facility.

“The development could create up to 1,800 jobs over time and the timeframe for the development now proposed by IDA Ireland means that it will come on stream at a time when the global economic slowdown will hopefully be behind us and it is a good sign for Dundalk’s future that this type of forward planning is happening at this time,” the Council chairman continued.

Cllr Breathnach said he was also pleased with the approach being taken to master-planning the overall lands including and surrounding the IDA land-bank at Mullagharlin. “An Environmental Impact Statement has been included and essential business services such as electricity, gas, telecoms and IT requirements are also being made available. There will be no traffic impacts to local residents surrounding the park and several measures aimed at reducing dependency on car transport are also included. For instance, the scheme will ultimately feature a public transport hub and a series of walk-and-cycle-ways while a large linear park with a substantial water element will provide a recreational amenity within the business park. It is also intended to use landmark public art and extensive landscaping at key locations to enhance the visual impact of the lands as an introduction to Dundalk.

“Dundalk is fortunate to have such a large area available for development so close to the town and also alongside the motorway which provides such an excellent link to the major population centres on this island. Dundalk has already seen solid growth and investment but the vision now emerging suggests the best is to come as we benchmark development against not only other Irish urban centres but also international best practice.”

The planning application will be available for inspection at Louth County Council’s offices in County Hall, Dundalk, Monday to Friday, 9am-4pm. The IDA aims to positively engage with the local community on the proposed advance planning application and will be hosting an Information Drop-in Centre until 23rd August 2008 at its Dundalk Office in Finnabair Business Park each Thursday evening from 7 to 9pm and Saturday morning from 10am to 12 noon.

Media contact: Katharine Wolinska, Bance Nolan Ltd, 0429386651; katharine@bancenolan.ie