Waterford Crystal staff back rezoning plan

WORKERS at Waterford Crystal are backing the firm’s plans to rezone lands used by its sports and social club for industrial use.

At least 10 last-minute submissions were made to Waterford City Council yesterday ahead of a 4pm deadline for recommendations on and objections to the proposed rezoning of the 25 acres of land for industrial use. Three submissions were received last week.

A council official said the submissions received by post yesterday will not be opened until this morning and a senior official would be making a report on the matter.

That report is most likely to be discussed at the authority’s next meeting on April 4. It is understood several members on the city council favour the plan, arguing that it is in the best long-term financial interest of the plant.

Staff from Waterford Crystal’s plant at Kilbarry backed the rezoning bid as they met last night to discuss crunch issues within the company. There are fears of further cuts among staff after seven weeks of short-term working.

Union officials were slow to comment on the rezoning ahead of last night’s session, but it is understood SIPTU did not raise an objection to the change of use of the lands on the Cork Road before yesterday’s deadline.

If rezoned for industrial use, the value of the land would increase dramatically towards €30 million.

Staff gathering for last night’s session said the rezoning and sale of the land, while a loss for the sports and social club, would be in the long-term interest of the company and its staff.

“Which is better, lands we can run around or an asset which would increase in value and could be sold either to invest in the company or offer a better redundancy package for people down the line?” one employee said.

Last week, students at Waterford Institute of Technology said rezoning the lands would leave them without playing pitches. The college leases playing fields from the company. But the Students Union at the college did not make a submission on the matter. College management have yet to comment.

The only declared opponent to the rezoning plan is local businesswoman and town planner Stephanie Taheny. She said the corporation sold five acres of land to Waterford Crystal in 1997 for about €32,000. The authority also sold the company five acres in the 1970s for about €12,000.

She said the sales were based on the understanding that the land would be for recreational use.