Waterford's Parade Quay hits urban project snag

The regeneration project on Parade Quay has had to seek a new Part 8 application in order to progress. The shopfronts along the Quay are mostly vacant as the area undergoes regeneration. 

The works are being managed by Waterford City and County Council (WCCC) and was sanctioned by the Urban Regeneration and Development Fund (URDF). The scheme was granted Part 8 planning consent in April 2024. The main contract works were due to begin in late 2026, with the project due for completion in Q4 2028. 

According to a WCCC document dated from March 10: "However, due to design development in terms of i) 2x additional apartments, ii) ESB infrastructure requirements, iii) associated design progression due to additional retention of historic fabric, a new Part 8 application is required."

At the March meeting of the Metropolitan District, Councillor Frank Quinlan asked: "Can we please do something with the shopfronts on the Quay? Tourists will be flocking in and around the summer and the presentation leaves a lot to be desired."

According to Senior Architect Matthew Partridge, the former retailers on Parade Quay are 'very keen' to return to their stores. He said: "The existing retailers are all very keen to come back and to see the long-term picture of what we were doing there. In terms of rents, that's something that's going to happen down the line."

Mr Partridge said that the previous Part 8 application had an intention to sell flats to the private market, rather than be used for social housing. 

Mayor Seamus Ryan asked: "Who made that decision?" 

Mr Partridge replied that it was stipulated in the original planning permission. 

He said: "The idea being that we wanted a diverse tenor of residents living in the city as opposed to creating the potential of identification of social housing in any particular areas. The idea was to sell."

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