A scheme which aspires to become the State's main hub for warehousing and distribution was launched by Laois County Council yesterday.
The Portlaoise Interchange Economic Development Plan proposes the establishment of a 250-acre transport and logistics centre, motorway services, and retail warehousing on a site bordering the M7 motorway interchange and the Dublin-Limerick railway line, outside Portlaoise.
The council is also seeking to develop a conference centre in the area, based on the strategic midlands location.
The plan, which was launched at a showcase for investors in Dublin, emphasises the proximity of Portlaoise to most major centres and cities, pointing out that site costs, development levies and freight forwarding costs are less in Portlaoise than in Dublin and many other areas.
It points out that journey times to most major ports are shorter from Portlaoise and claims the scheme is within one hour of Dublin, 90 minutes from Rosslare or Shannon/Foynes, two hours from Cork, and 2½ hours from Galway. It claims Sligo and Belfast are just three hours away.
While routes to the main cities and ports were indicated in maps provided by the promoters yesterday, not all are motorways or dual carriageways. The logistics park is located at the junction of the M7 and N8 national routes.
According to the promoters, 25,000 vehicles travel each day on the M7. The population of Portlaoise is 13,000 and is set to rise to 29,000 by 2020. Their presentation also noted that a rail link from the site to Portlaoise town centre is currently disused. A number of local and distributor roads indicated on the map have yet to be built.
The council says road infrastructure is continually improving under the National Development Plan while the area is well served by high-speed telecommunications and already hosts a dynamic business community.
The strategy, which also includes plans to exploit the town's potential for conference and tourism facilities, is based on an economic and promotional strategy for the county drawn up by A&L Goodbody consulting.
It follows from the county's designation in the National Spatial Strategy as a key transport and logistics hub.
Challenging the private sector to "catch up", the council said Portlaoise was the designated decentralised location for the Department of Agriculture. It could provide quality housing at more affordable prices than Dublin, while "quality of life" features included nine parkland golf courses and one championship course, equestrian facilities, rivers, lakes and mountains.
Speaking at the launch yesterday, officials said pre-planning discussions would get under way immediately with developers and investors. They said planning applications could be lodged by June, and "soil could be turning brown" by the end of the year. Laois County Council has embarked on a programme to attract Irish and international developers and investors to support the project.
According to the county manager, Mr Martin Riordan, the Portlaoise interchange "is the first step in ensuring sustained economic growth for Co Laois". He added that Laois was the first county designated as a transport hub to implement a major development project which he believed would become a catalyst for growth in the county.
The Minister for State at the Department of the Environment, Mr Noel Ahern, said the strategy would maximise the county's proximity to the regional gateway at Tullamore/Mullingar/Athlone, and was an example to other counties on how to develop their potential under the National Spatial Strategy.
