Slow progress
Published: 05 November, 2007
Planning objections are holding up work on the planned new €280m Destination Waterford development in the heart of city. But now there are hopes that approval for the scheme will come through shortly from An Bord Pleanala, enabling construction to start early in the new year. Similar delays are affecting an equally ambitious Parker Green International scheme on the outskirts of Waterford.
A Wexford-based company, KRM Construction Partnership, plans to build a Dundrum Town Centre type scheme in the centre of Waterford, on a 2-ha site, bounded by Michael Street, New Street, Stephen Street and Brown's Lane. The plans for the development include 60 retail units, incorporating a number of large anchor retailers and amounting to 25,000 sq m of retail space in all, a 150-bedroom four star hotel, arts and cultural elements and underground parking for 600 cars. The developer also plans a rooftop area giving stunning panoramic views of Waterford's historic city centre, which dates back to Viking times.
The original plans caused much local furore and were subsequently amended. At that stage, early in 2006, the city council said that it was positively disposed towards appropriate development on the site. Also at that time, Paul Miskella, chief executive of the developers, said that they had been getting a lot of positive feedback from the public. "There is now real interest in engaging with us on the plans now being finalised," he said.
During the summer of 2007, the local authorities gave planning permission for the project and the promoters said that they hoped to start construction in September, just two months ago, with completion by the end of 2009. Not only the local authorities but many local business interests are supportive of the scheme, as the last shopping centre to be built in the centre of Waterford was opened an incredible 17 years ago.
Andrew O'Neill, president of the Waterford Chamber of Commerce, spoke for many business people when he said: "There's no doubt that Waterford city centre needs very significant investment if it's to compete successfully with other urban centres in the south-east and further afield."
He urged objectors to take a wider view. "The reality is that towns like Carlow, Clonmel, Kilkenny and Wexford haven't been standing still for the last five to 10 years."
Despite this, business people's hopes for this major city centre regeneration project have had to be put on hold for the time being, due to what some have described as 'frivolous' objections to the scheme.
The Waterford Council of Trade Unions lodged an objection with An Bord Pleanala, because of the adverse effect they said the scheme would have on local residents.
Dick Roche, president of the Council, said: "The decision by the city council was very disappointing, given the widespread opposition of local residents to this huge development." Another objector to the plan is local Green Party activist Brendan McCann.
On the other hand, the union representing local building workers is unsurprisingly all in favour of the development, as 600 jobs have been promised during construction. When the centre is completed, 1,300 jobs are expected to be created there.
An Bord Pleanala is due to announce its decision before Christmas and, if the outcome is positive, it's hoped that construction will get under way early in the new year. The project is estimated to take around two years to complete.
Peter Levins, associate director of Bannon Commercial, the letting agents for the scheme, says that this is the only large-scale retail development in Waterford that has been granted planning permission by the local authorities. He adds: "The majority of retailers being targeted don't currently trade in Waterford. From our discussions to date, national and international retailers are excited about the opportunity to finally open in the centre of what is the fifth largest city in the Republic."
At the present time, Levins' colleague at Bannon, Marcus Wren, is actively engaged in discussions with a number of well-known retailers, and Destination Waterford will be marketed at the BCSC conference in Gateshead, on stand 108.
Similar delays are affecting Parker Green International's €300m mixed use lifestyle village scheme on the Cork Road. The 36,556 sq m two-phase project will include retail, leisure, office and residential zones, as well as a retail warehousing block. Local planning permission was given in September, but several residents' associations in the area have objected.
Parker Green International, which also developed the Quays centre in Newry and the Fairgreen centre in Carlow, is nevertheless confident that residents' concerns can be addressed and that this flagship development with what the company describes as 'knockout good looks' will be able to proceed.
However, a further complication in this tangled web may be that there are plans for another shopping centre centre at Ferrybank, on the outskirts of the city. Whether this scheme will influence the outcome at the other two has yet to be seen.
Hopefully though, even if Waterford has to wait a few more years, the two proposed developments in the centre and on the Cork Road should have the same kind of positive impact on the city as the brand new Athlone Towncentre is beginning to have in its catchment area. Watch this space.
