Planned town ‘a shining example’

A NEW sustainable town plan for part of Waterford city will act as a showcase for future community developments in Ireland, a labour party councillor said yesterday.

Cllr Pat Hayes said the development of a new town at Carrickphierish on the city’s north western fringe, will be a “shining example” of how community development projects should be planned.

“I think the development will turn out to be a showcase to the rest of the country as to how you should plan and develop community neighbourhoods,” Mr Hayes said. “The new town will have plenty of green space, a variety of facilities and three schools, which will make it a lovely place for families to live and rear children.”

The plans for the new town, which will eventually house 12,000 people, were announced by Waterford City Council this week. The first phase at Carrickpheirish is expected to be developed over the next three years, with a second neighbourhood plan for Gracedieu to follow.

It is expected the first new neighbourhood will serve a projected population of 6,000 people in 2,000 new homes. The village complex on a 16-acre site has been designed to include a new high street, retail premises, a supermarket, three schools, a library, hotels, green areas and sporting facilities.

The city’s executive planner, Jack Keating, said the design had the potential to address the city’s “lopsided development”.

“It will facilitate the expansion of Waterford. It’s the last remaining part of the city zoned for development,” he said. With huge development on the city’s south eastern side, most noticeably along the Dunmore Road, the new developments will be a welcome rejuvenation of a neglected side of the city.

“The new neighbourhood will be a vibrant neighbourhood centre. It’s a high quality development based around three core blocks of buildings, each with three- or four-storey developments,” said Mr Keating.

Plans are in place for the development of commercial facilities at ground-floor level, with apartments and offices on the upper floors.

The city’s new Educate Together school will be located in Carrickphierish, alongside a Gaelscoil and a De La Salle Brother’s school.

The plan, which is a variation to the original design under the city’s 2002 development plan, will go on public display next month.