"Ronan Group Clonmel Vision 2020" sets out the ambitious long-term development plan for a 120-acre site on Coleville Road.
The twenty-year plan will give Clonmel yet another massive economic boost at a time of unprecedented growth in the town.
The plan was described as "stunning and visionary" by project manager John Hayes, Hayes Higgins Partnership, Consulting Engineers.
The development will provide a mix of residential, commercial, retail, educational, cultural and community facilities.
The plan provides for pedestrian and vehicular links across the Suir, a micro enterprise park, residential developments, and a free site to the Department of Education for a new school, the creation of a forty acre linear public park, community/neighbourhood facilities such as a crèche and community hall.
This week the Ronan Group Vision 2020 masterplan for Coleville Road was presented to Billy McEvoy manager of Clonmel Borough Council and shown to public representatives.
Before Christmas a planning application for phase one of the development involving the provision of 110 houses will be lodged and it is hoped that the development will start next summer.
The plan is spread out over six phases and incorporates land in Clonmel Borough Council area and Waterford County Council on both sides of the Coleville Road.
The implementation of the plan will effectively create a new urban quarter for the town of Clonmel.
With the demise of the tannery industry at the site the Ronan Group proposes a commercial development providing alternative employment generating facilities with high tech offices supporting new e-commerce/business, incubator units to support start up units.
The plan also provides for café/restaurant, retail both convenience and services in the development.
An attractive feature of the plan revolves around the provision of a River Suir Linear park allowing public access to lands currently under private ownership.
According to the plan this park would be created at no direct additional cost to the Borough Council. The plan points out that various facilities could be provided to help alleviate the deficit of social infrastructure including football pitches, picnic areas, rowing club, marina and boardwalk.
The plan strives to ensure connectivity with the town by way of the construction of a pedestrian bridge (within the Ronan lands) to Mulcahy Park. This bridge would create important linkages with the urban centre and would significantly improve access to the new forty-acre linear public park to be provided.
This together with the proposed new vehicular bridge from Moangarriff roundabout will ensure that the site is fully integrated within the existing town.
"This plan has enormous benefits for Clonmel, it is environmentally friendly and has an awful lot to offer the town," said project manager John Hayes.
The project manager said with the demise of the tannery industry the Ronan Group wanted to maximise the use of the resource.
"The Ronan Group has been a significant contributor to the Clonmel economy since 1950.This vision will enable the County Council to realise its plan of action to adopt Clonmel as a de facto hub of the gateway Waterford City," he said.
"We have received a very positive response from officials and elected representatives," he added.
John Hayes said the proposed development affords significant gains in the alleviation of the flooding problems which have beleaguered Clonmel by the provision of additional storage and improved flood plain flow.
"This development has the capacity to ensure that the flood waters leave the town of Clonmel quicker. We are having on going discussions with the OPW regarding these proposals," said John Hayes.
The plan provides for a site for educational purposes at no cost to the Department of Education and Science.
Other community facilities required by new residents will also be provided including a crèche, leisure/fitness centre, community hall.
The crèche facility will be provided for in the renovated existing Melbrook House as part of Phase One of the plan.
The development of the school will take place in Phase Four subject to agreement with the Department of Education.
The project manager said the scheme would ensure that the development of Coleville Road as a Southern Strategic Relief Route, with a new vehicular bridge from Moangarriff roundabout to Colville road, was embedded in the future development plan. It would relieve pressure on the town centre and Northern Relief Route.
"The possibility of the provision of a new vehicular bridge across the River Suir at Moangarriff has already been mooted locally and this development enhances the prospect of this occurring within a reasonable period," said John Hayes.
The Ronan Group are willing to cede lands at no cost to the local authority to facilitate the upgrading of Coleville Road and the facilitation of the new vehicular bridge.
20% of the houses on the lands will be provided as social and affordable housing. A mix of residential units of varying types and sizes, designed to address the housing requirement of different sections of the population is proposed.
There are six phases to the plan. The first four phases of the plan concern lands on the left of the Coleville Road and the remaining two phases relate to land on the right hand side of the Coleville Road.
Phase One will comprise of a mixed use development with crèche facilities and a retail unit, phase two will consist of a mixed use development consisting of commercial and residential elements, phase three will be
residential, phase four will be a development of a small quantum of residential and the provision of a possible Neighbourhood Centre, which could include a school facility, phase five would be residential and phase six, which would be to the western environs of the site, would also be residential.