Metro's concerns over city centre strategy
Waterford's retail strategy was taken to task at the meeting.
On Monday evening, December 16, the Waterford City Centre Management Plan 2025-2027 was presented to the Metropolitan Council.
The plan aims to ensure that Waterford City centre is a 'viable, sustainable and attractive place where people want to live, work, play, shop, study and visit.'
It was informed by preceding major projects including the Waterford Council’s Climate Action Plan 2024-2029, Waterford City and County Development Plan 2024-29 and a draft version of
Fáilte Ireland’s Waterford Destination and Experience Development Plan (WDEDP) 2024-2028.
The plan was presented by Lisa Grant and involved 50 stakeholders including KPMG.
Councillor Joeanne Bailey asked: "On the action to develop economic initiatives scheme to attract new commercial tenants in vacant units, how many have availed of that initiative so far and where is that initiative advertised?"
Ms Grant replied: "Looking at the figures for 2024; the total budget in terms of rates is €100,000. The scheme itself is available in all our areas down to the villages across Waterford."
On the retail element, Mayor Councillor Jason Murphy said: "I think the big problem we have in Waterford is that the most economic affluent part of the city, and I think everyone would agree, is the Dunmore Road area, yet they are effectively their own standalone area. It's also an area that has, I would say, the worst access to public connection to the city centre and the hardest to get in and out of. Until we address that elephant in the room, then we're always going to have challenges."
The larger Waterford Economic Strategy Plan 2022-2040 sets out plans to reverse the 'retail leakage' in Waterford City and County. It was reported recently that Waterford City lost an estimated €600million in retail.
Councillor Donal Barry asked for a copy of the final Waterford's Destination Experience Development Plan. He said: "I don't know how many times I've asked for a copy of the Plan."
On the Management Plan itself, Cllr Barry said: "The scale of the issue in the city centre is significant to say the least. I think its a two hour meeting we need to discuss this plan."
Speaking about the retail leakage, Cllr Barry said: "We were accused, basically, at the last Plenary meeting that we were trying to run down the city.
"We need to get feedback on this at least every two months. Looking at improvements in the Mayor's Walk area; there's good retail up there, there's communities in there. I asked if somthing could be done to make a link to the city centre and nothing happened." He ended: "Its not doing Waterford City any justice."
