PLANNING&DEVELOPMENT:KRM CONSTRUCTION Partnership, developers of a proposed €280 million mixed-use commercial development in Waterford city centre, say their intention is to proceed with the development over the whole of the 5.2-acre site, in spite of a significant scaling down of their original proposal by An Bord Pleanála.
The developers say that, while disappointed with the setback, the most important point from their perspective is the acceptance that the city centre site they have assembled over several years is "suitable for the type of mixed development proposed".
But Brendan McCann, dubbed a "serial objector" because of his objections to, or observations on, a large number of developments in the Waterford city area, and one of a number of objectors to the KRM proposal, chalks this up as another success.
He says An Bord Pleanála "pretty well agrees with much of our comments on the development. It was over-scaled and inappropriate to the street scale."
An Bord Pleanála ruled that the overall height of most of the development should be reduced by 7.5 metres, around the height of a major retailing floor (about 12ft).
It said the proposed hotel should be completely redesigned and include a reduction in the overall height. It insists on the retention of buildings on both ends of the main shopping street, Michael Street, and a significant increase in the separation distance between the development and the residential properties on Alexander Street on the northern side of the development.
The residential component of the development - over 20 apartments - is to be retained.
Una Ryan of the Waterford Alliance for Sustainable Inner City Development, another objector, is happy with the board's ruling.
She points to the fact that Waterford's inner city still has a thriving residential community living in houses, rather than apartments, in quite a number of streets and across a range of housing abutting the proposed development.
John Andrews, senior planner with Waterford City Council, which rejected KRM's initial proposal, but worked closely with the developers on this second proposal, says his gut feeling is that the revisions requested do not affect the "commerciality" of the project.
He says the developers "when they saw the detail, I would say they were much more relaxed. This would have seemed to be an indication that the board are disposed to grant it."
KRM, through a spokesman, said prospective clients continued to be interested in the project.
They declined to name those clients but industry sources consider that Marks & Spencer and possibly Debenhams (who have a smaller than required shop in the former Roches Stores in City Square) may well be joint anchor tenants. Other British high street retailers, who do not yet have a presence in Waterford, could also be interested.
Research conducted by Behaviour & Attitudes, and provided by KRM, indicates, conservatively, retail leakage from Waterford of over €19.2 million per annum because of the absence of a major commercial centre in the city.
