A landmark Waterford building is finally to be restored after a planning battle lasting several years. The former Infirmary building on John's Hill was in danger of being lost unless it was renovated in the near future, according to Waterford Corporation and An Taisce.
The building is to be converted into an apartment complex with town houses after planning permission was granted to a Galway developer by the corporation last week.
A larger-scale development was rejected by An Bord Pleanala last year following objections by local residents.
Built in 1785 and designed by John Roberts, the Infirmary is one of Waterford's most prominent and historic buildings. It is listed as protected, but since closing as a hospital in 1987 it has been vandalised many times and is now in serious disrepair.
Mr Des Griffin of An Taisce supported the application to redevelop it in a letter to the corporation in April. "We are afraid that if the Infirmary building is not restored or renovated it will not last another winter," he said.
The reduced-scale development now envisaged calls for the construction of 57 apartments, with 20 town houses to the rear of the site.
Mr Eugene Hyland, secretary of the development company, Kemberton Properties Ltd, said the company had taken account of residents' concerns and the decision of An Bord Pleanala just over a year ago. The 106-apartment development then envisaged would have been "totally inconsistent" with the preservation of the existing building, An Bord Pleanala found. The corporation had also approved that application.
Mr Hyland said the company would wait for the 28 days allowed for appeals to An Bord Pleanala to expire before deciding when to begin work on the building, but they hoped to proceed "very quickly".
"It's taken a long time to get to this stage. We are three years at it so obviously we're delighted at the decision," he said. Construction should take about 18 months.
Like An Taisce, Waterford Corporation had expressed the concern that the building would not survive unless a viable use was established for it. It began consultations with the developer at the beginning of this year to find a way of developing the structure while maintaining its architectural features.
Conditions imposed by the authority include the retention of the existing features on the front of the building. The cantilevered granite stairs, including the handrails and balusters, are also to be retained and restored. And the windows on the front and side elevations are to be replaced with the equivalent of late 18th-century timber sliding sash windows.
Originally known as the Leper Hospital, the structure was in fact a general hospital intended as a replacement for the leper hospital built in the 13th century by King John. In his letter to the corporation, Mr Griffin said the leper hospital previously occupied a site at the Newgate Street end of Stephen Street.
The Infirmary is just one of many prominent buildings in Waterford designed by Roberts, including the City Hall, the two cathedrals and the Chamber of Commerce building in George's Street.
