'We're boxed in' - Deerpark Estate speaks on Bord Pleanála decision
Deer Park housing estate. Photo: Joe Evans
In January 2025, several residents at Deerpark Estate spoke to the Waterford News & Star about their experiences living in the development. They talked about struggling with leaks, lack of heating and insulation, as well as their concern over proposed new developments that would impede on their privacy.
Last summer, residents learned to their shock that an application had been submitted to build apartment blocks, directly in front of their homes, by developer Frisby Homes.
Residents launched an appeal to the planning board arguing that the proposed buildings would impede on their privacy, access to natural light and would devalue their own property. Residents particularly cited issues concerning natural lighting and privacy, as the apartment blocks may look on directly into their homes. They appealed against the planned development.
In April 2025, the residents lost their appeal to An Bord Pleanála, who upheld the approval to build the apartment buildings.
The proposed development includes 79 no. apartment units located within three apartment blocks, comprising Block D, Block E, and Block F.
The brochure given to prospective residents before summer 2024 showed two potential future blocks that were located away from the houses.
Speaking in May 2025, Kate Finn, a resident and advocate for the estate, said that the decision by An Bord Pleanála left them in "shock".
She said: “We were shocked that An Bord Pleanála made the decision to approve the apartments based on the statements and information that we had provided them.
“We believed as residents that we are entitled to our privacy and it’s shocking that it wasn’t upheld by An Bord Pleanála, that they did not care about our privacy, our lack of natural light that’s now going to be impacted by these apartments.”
Like many residents, Kate spent upwards of €300,000 for her home, through the Affordable Purchase Scheme through Waterford City and County Council. The estate is located on the outskirts of Waterford City on the Williamstown Road, a distance away from amenities.
Kate said: “It’s a short-term solution to the housing crisis we have now without taking into consideration the long-term impact that this is going to have on our community with these blocks of apartments going ahead.
“All the negative impact that we are going to experience now... These 28 private houses are sinking in duplexes up the back and apartments at the front, so we are boxed in.”
“If we had known that that was happening before we moved in, there wouldn’t have been anybody who would’ve bought a house in Deerpark.”
In January, one of the key issues facing the residents were draughts and coldness, with some talking about how poorly the houses were able to trap heat. Storm Éoywn left a number of homes with leak problems.
Kate said: “Since [January 2025], insulation has been pumped into my house twice in the last number of weeks.”
With the recent good weather, however, it is difficult to assess properly whether the works have been successful. She continued: “The issues that people were speaking about the last time, people are not feeling that at the moment; we don’t have heavy rain, so we don’t have leaks.”
The fear for residents now is that come the next winter, the same old problems with heating and leakage arise once more.
“We were provided misinformation, because I believe that there was a master plan for this area. We were given a brochure, and this was what we were sold. Anything that we were given is no longer on the website.”
As the houses were bought through the scheme, residents are prohibited from selling their houses for a period of five years. According to Kate: “It’s in our Waterford Council agreement that we can’t sell for five years but as soon as those five years are up there’s going to be a lot of people trying to get out of Deerpark.
“The worry for some is that our houses will have devalued as a result of the problems we experienced, that we have been speaking on, and where the apartment blocks are going to be. At that stage, when we are trying to get out, nobody is going to want to live there.”
While the problems within the development may differ from house to house, the entire estate is united in opposition to the apartment buildings.
“When it comes to the apartment blocks, we collectively feel the same. We we collectively feel we were sold a lie when we bought these houses, and collectively would not have bought in Deerpark had we known what was planned.”
Frisby Homes have been reached for comment.
In granting permission for the apartment blocks, An Bord Pleanála stated: "Having regard to the provisions of the Waterford City and County Development Plan 2022-2028, to the 'Regeneration’ land use zoning of the site that allows residential land use, to the 'City Metropolitan Area’ designation of Waterford, to the nature of the proposed development and to the pattern of development in the surrounds, it is considered that, subject to compliance with the conditions... the proposed development would not seriously injure the residential or visual amenities of the area or the amenities of property in the vicinity and would constitute an acceptable form of development at this location.
"The proposed development, would, therefore, be in accordance with the proper planning and sustainable development of the area."
In relation to concerns over privacy and overlooking, the An Bord Pleanála Inspector's Report further stated: "Given the urban context, the infill nature of the subject site, the vacant nature of the site currently and the separation of the subject site from Deerpark dwellings by at least 16m and by the width of the access road, I am satisfied that the separation distances provided are acceptable in this instance...
"I am satisfied that the proposed separation distance would not result in a significant detraction from existing levels of private amenity at Deerpark... While there is a certain level of impact from the subject proposal on properties to the north, the separation distances, intervening street and urban context of the site does lend itself to a building of scale at this location...
"The 3-5-storey development proposed, with 2-4 storeys at the northern elevations, would have no significant overbearing impact when viewed in the context of the existing streetscape and would provide for an appropriate transition between the existing two storey dwellings at Deerpark and the 4-5 storey apartment buildings permitted and proposed adjoining the Outer Ring Road..."
In relation to the rear gardens, the inspector said that some level of overlooking of rear open spaces was to be expected in an urban setting, and the separation distance of 16m, coupled with the intervening street, would allow for adequate protection of privacy in this instance.
