Waterford Council set to apply for funding to extend riverside walk in city suburbs
Fine Gael councillor Jim D'Arcy pictured on the Maypark trail in Ardkeen.
Waterford City and County Council are set to apply for National Transport Authority funding for an extension of the Maypark river walk in 2027, according to local Fine Gael councillor Jim D’Arcy.
The development would see the river walk, which currently stretches from Powerscourt to Glenville, extended by an additional kilometre and finish in Newtown by Waterpark National School.
The extension has been championed by Cllr D’Arcy, who spoke to the Waterford News & Star in December.
He framed the idea as something “for the greater good” that would help secure a safe passage to school for children.
The Council’s local development plan has been modified to include the project as a target.
Speaking last week, Cllr D’Arcy told the that plans have been put in place to secure funding for the project in 2027.
He said the provisional plan is to maintain the trail as a walkway. The stony and uneven surfacing will remain and won’t be reworked to accommodate cyclists.
“I like this approach, because there's no point in spending a fortune,” said Cllr D’Arcy.
“Let's get it to a good standard so that we can all enjoy what's there…I think people that have properties (along the river walk) when they see the work that's done on it, will look at it more favourably.”
Leveraging public support will be paramount. Invariably, the extension will have to run through freehold land.
If the Council is set on the project, compulsory purchase orders of land are likely.
In Ireland’s oft-lamented planning landscape, it's easy to see how a project like this could snag.
“We would be hoping it wouldn't come to that…we do have a gem on our hands,” Cllr D’Arcy said.
“We have an off-route, and the traffic on Dunmore Road is horrendous. At all times of the day, there's huge traffic, we have huge congestion.
“When you look at the amount of money that the NTA are providing for Waterford City… that part of the city is getting nothing.
“This is a way of investing in the people that live in that area, to have a means to get into the city that is safe, that's facing the river, which is important.”
He’s likened the proposal to the Silaire Wood Loop in Graiguenamanagh, Co. Kilkenny, a boardwalk loop nestled in a small patch of deciduous woodland.
