Permission refused for medical facility in Waterford City

An Bord Pleanala have refused permission for the construction of a medical facility and ancillary accommodation in Waterford Retail Park on the Cork Road.

The proposed development was planned at a greenfield site which is cordoned off from the existing retail park, and included a three storey building to accommodate medical related uses. The medical block was to be constructed in two wings over three storeys and set around a central core.

An additional 102 parking spaces were planned to be provided, bringing the total to 976 spaces.

Waterford Council refused permission for the development in October 2023, a decision which An Bord Pleanala has now decided to uphold.

An Bord Pleanala Planning Inspector, Angela Brereton suggested that the development be refused on the grounds that it is in an area distant from existing residential communities and the Waterford City Urban Area, and is car orientated, and not served by proximate public transport or pedestrian linkages in an area where maximum speed limits apply.