State-owned Waterford lands identified for potential new houses

An extra 1,200 houses could be provided on State-owned land in Waterford. 

The Report on Relevant Public Lands notes that Waterford City region has a population of 70,000 residents (2021 census). The National Planning Framework has set out ambitious growth targets of 11,400 new homes by 2040, building on the region’s pivotal role as the driver for growth in the south-east.

Current investment in the city is particularly focused along the North Quays, on public transport and on the public realm.

The first identified area is Bolton Street Car Park. 50-80 homes could be built here. As this land is owned by the local authority, it is classified as Class 1, meaning it would be ready for development more quickly than the other parcels of land listed below. 

At Waterside car park, another 70-90 homes could be built. 

The North Docks Bus Depot could yield 220 - 290 homes. 

Land at St Otteran's Hospital could yield 530 - 760 homes.

More than 60,000 homes could be built on State-owned land, the new report on public land reveals. 

The Report on Public Land identifies 83 State-owned sites with the potential for up to 67,000 homes in the medium to long-term.

The work compiled by the Land Development Agency indicates that land in the cities of Cork, Dublin, Limerick, Galway and Waterford could be used to construct thousands of homes.

The LDA believes that 9,760 of the homes identified in the report could be delivered in the next five to ten years.

A further 17,440 homes are proposed on Class 2 sites, which are considered to have medium to long-term potential, while there are a further 39,710 on long-term, Class 3 sites, bringing the total number to 66,910.