Incentives to get retailers using vacant shops

Retailers are to be given financial incentives to occupy vacant shops in Waterford as part of a €600,000 drive to revitalise the city centre.

Backers of the Waterford City Centre Management Plan hope it will help secure thousands of existing jobs and create additional employment by making the centre of Waterford more attractive to trade and spend money.

The plan was launched yesterday by mayor of Waterford Cllr John Cummins following months of preparation by a group of city centre stakeholders.

The over-arching aim of the plan is to give locals and visitors reasons to spend more time in the centre of Waterford, giving the area a boost in advance of next year’s celebrations of 1,100 years since the foundation of the city.

A series of interventions to be put in place includes:

* Financial incentives for clothing, footwear, or homeware retailers, not currently trading in Waterford, to invest in fitting out and using vacant shops in the city centre;

* Reduced pay and display on-street parking charges with the hourly charge reduced from €1.80 to €1.50 outside of a small core city centre area;

* A new rates exemption for arts and craft studios selling locally-produced items in small, previously vacant retail outlets;

* Further investment in urban renewal beyond the Viking Quarter and a fresh approach to how areas of the city centre are used.

The plan has identified Michael St, Exchange St, Patrick St, and Miller’s Marsh as key opportunity sites for retail development in a bid to attract new entrants to the city, particularly some of the chain retailers not currently located in Waterford.

Meanwhile, the O’Connell St/George’s St district is to be designated a “family-oriented arts and culture” area, with an unoccupied presbytery on George’s St to be refurbished.

Launching the plan at the Theatre Royal, Mr Cummins said there has been “legitimate concern” expressed at how Waterford city centre is faring during the recession, “and a recognition that action is needed to ensure that this is a vibrant and attractive area to spend time in, whether in the daytime or at night”.

He said the action plan is ambitious but also realistic and achievable. “There are clear deliverables, budgeting and timelines with responsibility assigned, and measurement mechanisms to track progress. Rather than a grand vision that will gather dust, this is a straightforward plan with a series of steps that, taken together, can drive regeneration in our city centre.”

Work begins immediately on providing the financial incentives to get currently vacant city centre shops open, while the reduced parking charges come into effect on Nov 11, well in time for the Christmas shopping period.

The Waterford City Centre Management Group members, who contributed to the plan and who will continue to meet to oversee its implementation, include city and county council members and officials, along with representation from the retail sector, Waterford Chamber, the city centre business group, Tidy Towns, gardaí, and the Port of Waterford.