Rezoning plans for city centre angers unions

The Waterford Council of Trade Unions has condemned the decision of Waterford City Council to rezone New Street in the city centre.

The motion to re-zone was passed eight votes to five at the June meeting of the city council with councillors on the left voting against.

The rezoning of New Street from residential to commercial use is intended to pave the way for the construction of what the council sees as the “grossly disproportionate and inappropriate” Brewery Shopping Centre, the construction of which would entail the demolition of an entire quarter of Waterford’s city centre.

The only beneficiaries of the rezoning are the property developers, the WCTU says. Many residents of the street have come under extreme pressure from the developers to sell their houses, a pressure, which will increase with this decision.

WCTU President, Dick Roche: “The City Council’s decision to rezone New Street seems to defy logic. They abandoned plans to similarly rezone Wyse park after just a couple of weeks.

“If the arguments for rezoning Wyse park were not persuasive enough to go ahead, then how can the argument to rezone New Street stand up to scrutiny? “Those on the council who have voted for this motion have turned their backs on the, mainly elderly, residents of the area who do not support this rezoning.”