Plans for 26-home Waterford development

The new homes will be developed for older persons

The applicant said Respond Housing Association, which operates an adjoining site, has expressed interest in managing the completed development.

Fresh plans for a 26-home development in the Rathfadded suburb of Waterford have been lodged.

Fiztur Ltd, headed by Sean Halpin, lodged plans with Waterford City and County Council for 26 single-storey residential units for older persons at Rockcastle, Ozanam Street. The scheme comprises six two-bed mid-terrace bungalows, four two-bed end-terrace bungalows, four one-bed end-terrace universally accessible bungalows, two two-bed end-terrace universally accessible bungalows, six two-bed mid-terrace universally accessible bungalows and four two-bed semi-detached bungalows.

The development includes alterations to the existing access road at its junction with Ozanam Street, widening to provide two-way vehicular access and new pedestrian access, along with associated roads, paths, parking, landscaping, open space, boundary treatments and sustainable urban drainage works. 

The application, lodged this week, follows an earlier application submitted in March, which drew a further information request from the council. The applicant was unable to address all issues raised without extending the boundary, prompting the new application, where they say they have addressed the items, including revised drainage proposals, boundary treatment details, and a quality audit under the Design Manual for Urban Roads and Streets prepared by Roadplan.
The application states that an agreement is in place with the council's housing department to provide three units under Part V social housing requirements. The development has a density of 32 units per hectare, marginally below the plan's recommended minimum of 35, which the applicant attributes to the larger footprint required by single-storey construction for older persons' housing.

The applicant said Respond Housing Association, which operates an adjoining site, has expressed interest in managing the completed development, with a management company proposed as a fallback.

A previous application on the site for 24 bungalows for the elderly was withdrawn in 2022 after the applicant could not secure agreement on sightlines at the Ozanam Street entrance.

A decision on the application is expected at the end of October.