Chapter 3: Waterford City and MASP

Draft Waterford City and County Development Plan 2022 - 2028

Dúnta18 Mei, 2021, 11:00am - 30 Lún, 2021, 5:00pm

Chapter 3: Waterford City and MASP

Strategic Objectives

Plan for and deliver a future for Waterford City as envisaged in the NPF, Waterford PLUTS and Waterford City MASP (SRSES) where Waterford fulfils its role as the Regional City and home to the Technological University of the South East.
As a leading member of the MASP implementation body, in collaboration with the Southern Regional Assembly, Kilkenny County Council, State and other agencies/ stakeholders, we will implement the priorities and objectives of the Waterford MASP to support the critical mass required for Waterford City to function as a regional city of scale in support of the broader south east region.
We will identify investment priorities to deliver the concentric city model founded on the principle of transport-orientated and infrastructure led development.

3.0 Waterford City: The NPF, SRSES and MASP

Waterford City is a key asset for Ireland in terms of its location, ability to compete nationally and internationally and capacity to grow and to relieve pressure on Dublin and surrounding counties. The National Planning Framework recognises Waterford’s role and potential as a national centre of scale to complement Dublin based on population and job creation supported by the Technological University for the South East Region (TUSE). The targeted growth of Waterford, providing an additional c. 12,000 jobs to support and additional 27,000 – 32,000 population by 2040, is vital to the national and regional long term growth strategy expressed in the NPF.

The principles which underpin the sustainable development of Waterford City as the south-east regional city of scale with associated economic and community are set out in the NPF. The NPF recognises that the key challenge for Waterford is to build scale and enhance urban quality through employment led growth. Opportunities exist to build on the City’s existing employment base which includes pharma, med-tech and engineering/advanced manufacturing sectors, as well as emerging indigenous enterprises while enhancing Waterford’s boutique-city attractiveness, quality of life and access thereto. Waterford also offers opportunities as a location for new University expansion and support functions in areas such as financial or professional services that may wish to avoid larger urban areas. It is also an emerging tourist centre, located on the route from Rosslare to Cork and the South-West and as a destination for cruise traffic.

The NPF proposes a series of key future growth enablers which have been further developed into a number of key themes and derived guiding principles and policies in the SRES MASP. The five principle themes include:

Integrated Land Use and Transportation to deliver investment and the concentric city;
Housing and Regeneration across the city and its diverse neighbourhoods to achieve compact, infrastructure led growth;
Employment and Enterprise to bring about transformational change;

Natural Environment to support the recreational needs of the expanding population while protecting and enhancing biodiversity; and,
Social Infrastructure of a standard to support communities and advance the learning city and county and associated social and economic development.

In order to give effect to the guiding themes of the NPF which will enable Waterford City to fulfil its regional and national role, the following Key Future Growth Enablers for Waterford city and MASP are set out in the NPF & SRES:

Delivering the North Quays SDZ regeneration project including a new pedestrian/public transport bridge over the River Suir;
Identifying infill and regeneration opportunities to intensify housing and employment development throughout city centre and inner suburban areas;
Enabling enhanced opportunities for existing communities as development and diversification occurs, particularly through employment, learning and education support;
Progressing the sustainable development of new greenfield areas for housing and the development of supporting public transport and infrastructure;
Public realm and urban amenity projects, focused on streets and public spaces, particularly in the city centre and inner urban area in support of urban intensification;
The development and expansion of the TUSE as part of the wider Multi Campus Technological University and integration with the City and region;
Provision of Citywide public transport and strategic cycleway networks;
Extension of the Waterford Greenway to link TUSE to the City Centre;
Enhanced regional connectivity through improved average journey times by road to Cork, Limerick and ports within the region;
Ensuring that water supply and waste-water needs are met by new national projects to enhance Waterford’s water supply and increase waste water treatment capacity;
Improving sustainability in terms of energy, waste management and resource efficiency and water, to include district heating and water conservation.

Figure 3.0 MASP – Waterford Metropolitan Area (Source SRSES)

The Development Plan and this core strategy will give support through relevant policy objectives to enable the delivery of the key growth enablers and the transformational change required across Waterford City as envisaged in the NPF, SRES and MASP. We will implement the NPF, SRES and MASP through the Development Plan strategies and policy objectives over the period to 2028 and pursue specific project investment through the National Development Plan, the Urban Regeneration Development Fund and other available funding mechanisms.