Council to press ahead with plans for new road on outskirts of Waterford city
The proposed Gracedieu Strategic Residential Distributor Road was discussed at a recent meeting of the Waterford Metropolitan District
Waterford City and County Council is set to press ahead with plans for a new road on the outskirts of Waterford city.
The proposed Gracedieu Strategic Residential Distributor Road was discussed at the October meeting of the Waterford Metropolitan District.
Paul Johnston, Senior Engineer at Waterford City and County Council, outlined the plans to the council.
Mr Johnston told the meeting that a similar distributor road proposed for the location was approved in December 2017.
However, the residential scheme proposed for the area didn’t proceed and therefore, the road was never built.
The land in question has since changed ownership though, and the current owner proposes to deliver a large residential development in the area.
In June, Waterford City and County Council announced that it had secured €5 million in funding for the construction of the road.
The funding was secured under the Housing Infrastructure Investment Fund (HIIF), which seeks to fund the building of infrastructure that will help speed up housing delivery.
It is hoped that the construction of the 200-metre stretch could facilitate the construction of up to 5,000 homes in the area.
Independent councillor Joe Kelly said he was “delighted” to see the plans for the road come before the council.
He described the proposed development as a “progressive plan and idea” which is “very much welcome”.
Similarly, Fianna Fáil councillor Eamon Quinlan welcomed the proposal, saying that an “incredible amount of land” is currently locked in the area.
Cllr Quinlan also expressed hope that the road will improve access to De La Salle GAA Club’s grounds in the area.