BREAKING: Waterford's appeal over Ferrybank Shopping Centre deemed 'invalid' - Kilkenny Live

A fresh twist has emerged in the long-running saga surrounding Ferrybank Shopping Centre after it has been confirmed that an appeal (since deemed to be invalid) was lodged by Waterford City and County Council (WCCC).

Kilkenny County Council granted planning permission on August 25 for the redevelopment of part of the unoccupied shopping centre.

This decision allowed the change of use and amalgamation of units to form a new anchor store of 3,000 square metres (sqm) net of convenience floorspace and 2,042 sqm net of comparison floorspace, alongside a new leisure unit of 3,140 sqm.

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WCCC had raised strong concerns with the scale of the proposal in its earlier submission to Kilkenny County Council, dated August 1, warning that the scale of the development had ‘the clear potential to function as a standalone retail destination, thereby undermining the vitality and viability of Waterford City centre’.

Following Kilkenny’s decision to approve the planning application, WCCC moved to appeal the decision to An Coimisiún Pleanála before the closing date of September 22.

However, the appeal was ruled to be ‘invalid’ on the closing date because it did not meet a key legal requirement under the Planning and Development Act.

The Act explicitly states that an appeal must be “accompanied by the acknowledgement by the planning authority of receipt of the submissions or observations.”

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An Coimisiún Pleanála is bound by strict statutory rules on how appeals are made.

In this case, The Kilkenny People understands that WCCC’s appeal to An Coimisiún Pleanála on September 22 did not include the acknowledgement of its original submission.

Asked for comment, Waterford City and County Council declined, responding only that it “is not in a position to comment on this matter.”

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The decision leaves Kilkenny County Council’s permission in place for the large-scale redevelopment of the shopping centre.

BACKGROUND

Ferrybank Shopping Centre was built in 2008 at a cost of approximately €100 million, but the centre never opened fully, leaving most of the development vacant, save for a library and a county council office.

For over a decade, the site was the centre of a legal dispute between Dunnes Stores, who were originally signed on as the anchor tenant, and Deerland Construction Ltd, a company that transferred the loans for the building to NAMA.

Back in March of 2023, it was revealed that Dunnes Stores purchased and now have ownership of the centre.

In January 2024, Dunnes Stores agreed to meet with Kilkenny County Council to discuss the site’s future and its role in the emerging Ferrybank/Belview masterplan.

Council officials later confirmed that Dunnes had engaged with the masterplan and had started to participate in discussions - with a view to redeveloping the shopping centre.

This latest development will likely be seen as another flashpoint in the long-running tug-of-war between Waterford and Kilkenny over the future of Ferrybank.

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