Council granted permission to acquire 'unsightly' building in Waterford city centre

An Bord Pleanála has cleared the way for the local authority to compulsorily acquire a derelict building in the heart of Waterford city centre.

There was one objection to the council application relating to the property at 61 John Street which is a protected structure.

According to planning inspector Ian Campbell, the three storey, mid-terrace, red brick building, which previously accommodated a retail unit at ground level, is in a "neglected and unsightly" state.

"The front façade of the building is in a poor state of repair with bricks chipped/damaged. The shopfront is dirty and in need of repair/repainting. The windows on the ground floor have been fitted with metal grills and the upper floor windows have been boarded up. The guttering requires repair/painting and vegetation is growing out of the front façade of the building. The roof appears to be sagging," he stated in his report.

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The property was formally placed on the Derelict Sites Register on April 20, 2023 and notice of Waterford City and County Council's intention to acquire the site compulsorily was served on the owner three months later.

In his report Mr Campbell notes the owner of the property objected stating that there is a tenant in the property who has lived there for a "substantial period of time" but that he does not believe that this explains the lack of progress in addressing the council concerns.

"In my opinion the fact there is a tenant in the property would not impede the owner addressing the condition of the property. Having regard to the foregoing I am satisfied that the local authority gave the property owner sufficient time and opportunity to address the dereliction and have explored other means of achieving the aim of rendering the property non-derelict," he wrote.

Recommending that the council application be granted, Mr Campbell stated: "I consider that the property demonstrably detracts from the amenity, character and appearance of land in the vicinity of the site, which in my view, renders it derelict under Section 3 of the Derelict Sites Act 1990."

The application was formally approved by members of An Bord Pleanála at a meeting earlier this month.