€33 million IDA investment withdraws from Waterford
Concept art for Déise Diagnostics' proposed development in Waterford's IDA business park.
An application for a new €33 million, 18,650 square metre IDA investment in Waterford has been withdrawn after planning permission was initially sought on August 19.
Déise Diagnostics Limited submitted a planning application to develop at the IDA business park in Butlerstown North.
The project was entitled ‘Project Athena’ and comprised “manufacturing and warehousing areas, with ancillary research and development, office space, exhibition areas, and staff welfare amenities.”
On September 12, head of planning at CBRE Ireland Leon Murray sent a letter of withdrawal to Waterford City and County Council.
“CBRE Advisory (IRL) Ltd. 1 (Agent) has been instructed by Deise Diagnostics Limited2 (Applicant) to formally withdraw the referenced planning application (Reg. Ref. 2560574) in accordance with Part 4, Article 37(1) of the Planning and Development Regulations 2001, as amended,” the statement read.
CBRE was the planner and sustainability consultant for the proposed development.
The council was due to decide on the proposed development on October 13.
The council’s planning department said no official reason needs to be cited for a company withdrawing from planning permission, giving no further comment on the development.
IDA Ireland said the withdrawal was a matter for the company, Déise Diagnostics. Déise Diagnostics did not respond to queries from the Waterford News & Star.
Déise Diagnostics Limited was set up on March 6. The company’s current director is listed as Bernard McEvoy, a senior partner at Philip Lee LLP, a commercial law firm with offices in Dublin.
Johnathan Kelly, another senior partner at Philip Lee LLP, was listed as a director when the company was set up, but resigned on May 1.
Daithi O’Troithigh of Doyle & O’Troithigh architects - the listed architects for the development - said he was unaware of the reasoning behind the application’s withdrawal.
Diarmuid Reil Architects, also listed as architects for the project, declined to comment on the reason for withdrawal and the initial plans for the development.
A planning report submitted to the council described the development as “a significant investment in Waterford”.
The development was “purpose-built to deliver a premium product to the market” and would aid in “driving economic growth, fostering innovation, and generating high-value employment opportunities across the region.”
Efforts to court the council into granting planning permission officially began on June 25, when a meeting was held between the applicant, architects, CBRE, and the council’s planning department.
An entry from the council’s executive planner Kevin Phelan described WCCC as “broadly supportive” of the new development.
The site would’ve been designed to accommodate 148 car parking spaces, 30 electric vehicle charging spaces and 94 bicycle spaces.
IDA developments can be built without having earmarked a business to inhabit the development.
A spokesperson for the IDA said: "The key objective of the regional property programme, in supporting balanced regional development aligned to IDA’s Adapt Intelligently Strategy, remains to deliver agile, sustainable, flexible property solutions providing certainty to clients in advance of demand.
"This includes delivering advanced building solutions and investment in infrastructure projects across the portfolio to meet evolving business needs of both FDI and Enterprise Ireland clients."
