Greencore has applied to Carlow County Council to build a new €1.1 billion town centre on the site of its former sugar factory.
Plans for the Carlow Gateway project were submitted to the council yesterday following invitations for submissions by the council for its proposed Local Area Plan for Carlow Town Environs.
The company's submission, if adopted, would see €1.1 billion invested in developing the 330-acre site.
Greencore said the plan could create up to 2,000 jobs over the next five to seven years. The proposal includes plans for a 50-acre business park on the site.
Up to 3,000 residential units would also be built under the plan. The company says the Gateway lands are fully serviced for water, effluent, gas and electricity on a natural growth path for the town, with the lands also having excellent roads access which will be improved on completion of the Carlow by-pass.
Greencore's development director, Geoff Doherty, said the plan would transform a large part of Carlow town.
Speaking this morning on RTÉ radio, Mr Doherty said the development was sustainable as it was "very well placed in terms of motorway access . . . there's a new significant arterial route being developed in terms of the M9".
He also said Carlow was "uniquely and strategically placed between the two ports of Dublin and Waterford".
But unions are unhappy with Greencore's plan, accusing the company of withholding €4.4 million in redundancy payments - recommended by the Labour Court - to former sugar workers at its Carlow and Mallow plants.
They are receiving backing from Green Party deputy leader Mary White, who is also a Carlow county councillor. She said today she would refuse to consider Grencore's proposal until the redundancy issue was settled.
Last month, Ms White had business suspended at a meeting the County Council to discuss the row between Greencore and ex-sugar workers.
"There is enormous anger in Carlow at the closure of the sugar plant and hundreds of workers, growers and pensioners are still awaiting redundancy and compensation payments," she said.
Siptu national industrial secretary Gerry McCormack said he had no objections to the proposals for Carlow as it would create jobs, but he said the company was "failing to deal with the people who built up that plant in the first place".
Mr McCormack also accused Greencore of using money available from the European Union - as part of an industry compensation package for reform of the sugar sector - to develop the site.
"There's EU money involved in this, and there's €146 million that's to be allocated, and the amazing part of this is this money is now going to be used by Greencore to help them develop this site to make it probably one of the most profitable sites in this country," he said.
Within the proposed business park will be a 20-acre development zone containing a cluster of emerging, niche, research-based food and ingredient enterprises, employing up to 400 highly qualified people, positioning Carlow as the national centre for these enterprises.
An additional 30 acres are included within Carlow Enterprise Zone for education and other research-based uses, with up to 65 acres proposed for leisure and amenity uses including a 35-acre linear park on the River Barrow.
The submission also includes unique cultural aspects including a museum, the restoration of the old beet harbour and a marina.
"We are particularly excited by the Carlow Enterprise Zone, which has the potential to be a national centre," said Mr Doherty. "Gateway will involve an investment of €1.1 billion euro in the county and will ultimately create an integrated living and working community of 8,000 people.
"Carlow Gateway, if adopted, will identify the town and its community as far-sighted and confident about its future," he added.
"It presents an opportunity to meet the development needs of the town in a single, integrated, fully serviced site on the edge of the town.
"We look forward to consulting and engaging with the town and county councils and the community during the coming weeks to outline the Carlow Gateway submission in more detail."