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Irish Independent

Appeal lodged over refusal of planned Waterford city apartment blocks

Ferryhill Properties Ltd applied to Waterford City and County Council on September 19, 2024, for planning permission to build a mixed-use development of 53 apartments, at 18-21 Ballybricken, Waterford city. The development would have consisted of the demolition of the existing buildings and the construction of a mixed-use development consisting of three buildings ranging in height from four to five storeys with 53 residences. Building A would comprise four storeys with 20 apartments and two commercial units on the ground floor. Building B would consist of a four-storey building including two communal units on the lower ground floor, two apartments on the ground floor with two duplexes above. Building C would include 29 residential apartment units over five floors. The application also proposed the provision of an open space, provision of foul and surface water connections and surface water attenuation systems, boundary treatments, bicycle storage, soft and hard site landscaping and all other development works. The proposed development aimed to transform an irregularly shaped brownfield site, currently occupied by Soundstore and its associated car park and warehouses, 'into a vibrant, sustainable, and attractive residential and commercial hub,' according to an architectural impact assessment report. The application attracted around 40 submissions and observations. The council refused planning permission on Tuesday, June 3, for two main reasons. Firstly, having regard to the existing character and the prevailing pattern of development, the location and setting of the site - which is partially located within a designated architectural conservation area (ACA) - council planners 'considered that the proposed development, by reason of its overall scale, height and massing would be out of scale with its surroundings'. '[It] would seriously detract from the architectural character and setting of the surrounding area and of the streetscape generally. 'The proposed development would, therefore, seriously detract from the architectural heritage and visual amenities of the area,' and would contravene policy objectives of the Waterford City and County Development Plan 2022-2028 which seek to preserve the special character and settings of ACA. 'The proposed development would, therefore, be contrary to the policies and objectives of the Waterford City and County Development Plan 2022-2028 and the proper planning and sustainable development of the area.' ADVERTISEMENT Secondly, 'the proposed development would seriously detract from and negatively impact on the existing residential amenities of properties in the vicinity of the site, in particular Clashrea Place,' and as such would be contrary to a policy objective of the city and county development plan 2022-2028, which seeks to 'protect the residential amenities of adjacent residential properties in terms of privacy and availability of daylight and sunlight.' The council's decision was subsequently appealed by Ferryhill Properties Ltd to An Coimisiún Pleanála on June 26 and the case is due to be decided by October 29 next.